Chapter 115: Why Is It You?

As I raised my hand, two fingers pinched the blade of the magic sword.

But at that moment, the woman’s magic sword instantly transformed back into a hairpin, shaking free from my grip and stabbing toward my eyes.

I turned my head to the side, twisted my wrist, caught her wrist holding the weapon, and then pulled.

Immediately, the woman spun around and landed squarely on my thigh.

Her other elbow struck toward my stomach, but I caught it and moved it to her abdomen, as if holding her tightly like a pair of lovers deeply in love.

Behind us, the little female ghost was wide-eyed in shock, but she dared not stop pushing the swing.

“Beautiful lady, the scent of your perfume is quite nice,” I murmured, burying my face in the snow-white nape of her neck and inhaling deeply.

“Let me go, or I’ll make your death a miserable one,” she warned, a faint electric current running through her body, making every hair stand on end.

“Either way, death is inevitable. Why not die under the peony flower as a gallant ghost?” I chuckled.

Suddenly, the woman stiffened as she felt something pressing beneath her. Realizing what it was, she began to struggle.

“Hiss.”

I drew in a sharp breath, wickedly saying, “Keep struggling; the more you struggle, the more pleasure I get.”

She had never been so humiliated. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Just as I was about to release her, five or six people suddenly appeared in the backyard. The moment they saw our intimate position on the swing, they looked as if they had seen a ghost.

“What are you staring at? Haven't you ever seen a couple in love?” I barked.

The group immediately turned and went inside. I loosened my grip; she jumped down, trapping the little ghost on her finger within the ghost-taming jade, then shot me an angry glare before swiftly ascending the stairs.

I shrugged, stood there pondering for a moment, then, with a cigarette in my mouth, entered the main hall.

The once noisy hall fell into an eerie silence, countless pairs of eyes staring straight at me.

Ignoring them, I walked through the hall, preparing to leave.

In truth, I had a rough idea of the woman’s identity—she must be one of the three great socialites, most likely Shangguan Qingwu.

To avoid trouble, I’d better leave first.

“Stop!” Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and a gust of wind rushed from the side.

I raised my hand, grabbed a fist, then twisted and shook it violently.

A miserable scream followed as the person was thrown out, their hand twisted grotesquely, unable to turn back.

I turned around, my gaze sharp and cold, sweeping over everyone in the hall.

An aura of murderous intent layered upon itself, like a demonic god looking down upon all beings.

Everyone avoided my gaze; many legs trembled violently, yet no one dared to breathe audibly.

Then, a soft hum sounded.

The murderous atmosphere I had created shattered like bubbles. I turned my head and saw a graceful figure appear at the entrance.

I froze—it was her! The woman from the top floor of the Moonlight Tower.

Ling Xinyue also looked at me in surprise, not expecting to see me here.

“Ling Xinyue.” She came over and extended her delicate hand.

“Qin Feng.” I grasped her hand; so she was the leader of the three great socialites, Ling Xinyue, though a bit eccentric.

Ling Xinyue’s suppressed surprise resurfaced—he was Qin Feng, the one who defeated Qu Yuanshan and bested Xie Yanran!

After a long pause, Ling Xinyue said, “Can you let go of my hand now?”

I chuckled awkwardly and withdrew my hand. “Sorry, sorry, I got distracted.”

“You don’t seem to want to stay here. How about we go out for a walk together?” Ling Xinyue suggested. She was unaware that her words stunned everyone present.

The lofty and aloof Ling Xinyue, who looked down on all men, was actually inviting a man out on a date.

Even more heartbreaking was that this man had just been embracing Shangguan Qingwu intimately in the backyard.

“An invitation from a beauty is an honor,” I smiled but grew wary. The legendary Ling Xinyue, so ethereal and detached, was looking at me with unusual eyes.

Ling Xinyue got into my car, and we sped away.

Meanwhile, Shangguan Qingwu watched the car disappear from the rooftop, biting her lip and muttering, “What on earth is Ling sister’s relationship with this man?”

In a parked car, Xie Yanran stared blankly at the scene. She was closest to Ling Xinyue but had no idea that Ling Xinyue knew Qin Feng—and clearly, Ling Xinyue regarded him differently.

Under Ling Xinyue’s guidance, I drove toward Crescent Moon Mountain in the outskirts of the capital.

Atop Crescent Moon Mountain stood the Crescent Moon Villa.

In the villa’s Moon Viewing Pavilion, Ling Xinyue displayed her tea ceremony skills, each movement imbued with a peculiar rhythm.

Soon, the fragrance of tea filled the air.

Ling Xinyue passed me a cup of tea. I took it, blew on it, and drank it in one gulp.

“Good tea. But with a beauty by my side, naturally, the tea tastes sweeter,” I chuckled.

“The taste of tea varies for everyone,” Ling Xinyue said, elegantly sipping her own cup.

“Heh, honestly, no matter how good the tea is, it’s like a cow chewing peonies to me,” I smiled, watching Ling Xinyue. She was truly a rare beauty, but her temperament—I wasn’t fond of it at all.

Ling Xinyue smiled faintly. “Mr. Qin, you are a man of character. I hope you don’t mind if I ask you some questions.”

“Go ahead.” My eyes flickered as I braced myself.

“Among the myriad flavors of life, which do you think is most conducive to cultivating one’s heart and mind?” she asked.

“Cultivating the heart? What’s that?” I was taken aback.

“I mean, which flavor in life do you think is best for spiritual cultivation?” she clarified.

I lit a cigarette and laughed. “Since life has so many flavors, you must taste them all to understand. So every flavor can cultivate the heart.”

Ling Xinyue pondered deeply. After a long while, as if enlightened, she nodded and smiled brightly. “Mr. Qin, what you say makes sense.”

This woman really had some issues, I thought to myself.

Just then, Ling Xinyue took out a seal and handed it to me. “Mr. Qin, can you take a look at this?”

I took it. The seal was made of a strange rock, smooth and warm to the touch, with an ancient seal character “Dao” carved on its base.

“Huh.”

As I looked at the “Dao” character, it seemed to come alive. I imagined an old sage with white hair and beard, holding a giant brush, writing “Dao” characters in the void—each one different from the last.

Seeing me dazed and lost in thought, Ling Xinyue grew excited.

Could it be that this man could truly discern some secret from it?

At that moment, I focused, flicked the spent cigarette away.

“What did you see?” Ling Xinyue asked.

“I saw an old sage writing the character ‘Dao,’” I replied.

Ling Xinyue stared blankly at me.

Again with this? This woman must be scheming against me—I’d better protect myself.

“Why you?” Ling Xinyue murmured.

“Huh? What do you mean?” I asked.

Ling Xinyue regained composure and looked off into the distance. After a long moment, her expression returned to calm. “It’s getting late; I won’t keep you any longer.”

Was she trying to send me away?

“But I think this place is quite nice. Staying here for a night would be quite poetic,” I said.

“As a woman, it’s inconvenient for me,” Ling Xinyue said, fixing me with a steady gaze.

Inconvenient, my foot. She didn’t say it was inconvenient when she invited me, but now she claimed it was.

I pretended not to hear. Inviting is easy, sending away is hard. Once used, people turn their backs easily? Not so simple.

Ling Xinyue didn’t expect me to be so shameless. After a moment, she said, “Since you want to stay here, I’ll take my leave.”

“That’s very kind of you. By the way, which room is your boudoir? No offense—I just want to take a look,” I smiled.

Ling Xinyue’s previously calm demeanor suddenly wavered. This was indeed a scoundrel, but why just him? Why such a rogue!

But just as she assigned me a bedroom, I said I had another beauty to accompany me and actually drove down the mountain.

Ling Xinyue felt her heart grow restless. She bathed and changed into a moon-white Taoist robe, then sat quietly in her meditation room.

Inside the quiet chamber hung a painting.

If I were there, I would have been shocked—the old sage in the portrait was the very image I had seen when looking at that seal.