Chapter 26: A Clingy Shadow and a Fiery Temper

Something felt off.

It was the first day of their journey, and Hua Yan felt an unsettling discomfort pervading her entire being. Everything felt profoundly wrong.

Ever since Yun Xueshang had boarded her ship, the woman had been glued to her side, shadowing her every move throughout the day.

When Hua Yan cultivated in her room, Yun Xueshang would meditate beside her. When she went to the courtyard to drink tea and admire the flowers, Yun Xueshang would quietly water the plants nearby.

And when she climbed onto the rooftop to lie down and read storybooks, Yun Xueshang would practice her sword on the opposite eaves.

Until this very moment—

“I say, you’ve been following me all day! What exactly do you want?!”

Hua Yan’s patience finally snapped, and she erupted.

“I merely wish to… cultivate a good relationship with you.”

Yun Xueshang’s voice carried a hint of hesitation, tinged with a touch of grievance.

“Get out!”

“But…”

“I’m taking a bath right now! Get out immediately! You perverted lecher! You cold-faced, idiotic sword-obsessed blockhead!”

The red-haired maiden’s face flushed crimson with fury. She directly channeled her spiritual energy, blasting Yun Xueshang out of the bathroom.

Immediately afterward, with a dull thud, a small wooden basin accurately struck Yun Xueshang’s head.

“…”

Yun Xueshang stared blankly at the tightly shut bathroom door, then raised a hand to touch her forehead where she had been hit.

‘This time, she probably wasn’t just being ‘tsundere,’ was she?’

Carefully recalling Hua Yan’s expression just now—her eyebrows bristling, her cheeks flushed—it seemed she was genuinely angered, not merely speaking contrary to her true feelings.

‘Did I… make another mistake?’

The white-haired maiden gently lowered her eyelashes.

***

Inside the bathroom, once Hua Yan confirmed that the other person would not re-enter, she let out a long sigh of relief and slowly began to remove her ornaments and clothing.

Her thin blouse, ruqun skirt, undergarments, and jewelry were all placed one by one on a nearby stool. Finally, she untied the knot binding her hair, allowing her red tresses to cascade down her back like a soft waterfall.

Her fair feet bare, she lightly waved her delicate hand—and warm water rippled into the empty bathtub. With another flick, petals floated gracefully upon the water’s surface.

The bare-bodied maiden stepped, one by one, toward the steaming bathtub, slowly submerging herself into the water.

“Gurgle… gurgle…”

Curled up in the bath, Hua Yan rested her head on her soft bosom, the lower half of her face submerged in the water as she idly blew bubbles.

‘Honestly, what is that woman, Yun Xueshang, thinking? Following me all day was bad enough, but she even tried to come in when I was bathing…’

Perhaps the water was a little too hot, for a thin mist veiled the maiden’s light golden almond eyes, and her cheeks were tinged with a tempting blush.

‘I know she likes me… but we only met that one time at the Joyful Union Sect. Is it really worth remembering for so many years? Am I… truly that beautiful?’

She looked down into the water, her shapely figure subtly visible through the clear ripples. Flower petals drifted on the surface, reflecting a bright and enchanting face that was even more charming than the multitude of blossoms in the tub.

‘It seems… I really am quite beautiful. As expected of me.’

She unconsciously curved her lips, a small hint of self-satisfaction gracing her features.

‘So, if she truly returned to the Hundred Blossom Valley with me… what would happen?’

Hua Yan, who had previously only thought of knocking people out and bringing them back to complete her task, pondered this question seriously for the very first time.

‘Hmm, Grandmother would definitely be delighted, wouldn’t she? Perhaps she’d even force Yun Xueshang and me to marry on the spot, making me take her as my wife and give her a proper status…’

‘Given Yun Xueshang’s affection for me, she certainly wouldn’t object. Perhaps she’d just stay in the Hundred Blossom Valley, living with me and Rongrong, raising children together…’

Imagining Yun Xueshang’s usually serene face hidden beneath a vibrant red wedding veil, gently calling her “husband,” and then the scene of them spending their days together, raising children…

Hua Yan suddenly sat upright, shaking her head frantically and splashing a large amount of water.

‘What kind of joke is this?! I haven’t had enough fun yet! I don’t want to settle down so early! If I get married, how can I still roam freely by myself?’

‘Besides, her liking me is her business. Why should I have to marry her and be tied to her?’

But then, a scene abruptly flashed in her mind—the pink-haired girl holding a picture book, her eyes full of anticipation as she spoke of a family reunion.

“Tsk.”

The red-haired maiden clicked her tongue in annoyance.

‘Right, there’s that troublesome girl too…’

‘If she saw me getting married and then constantly arguing with Yun Xueshang, she might run back to Grandmother crying again, and then there’d be another pile of trouble…’

She slowly buried her face back in the water.

‘Forget it. I’ll take it one step at a time. At worst… I’ll just get married when I go back. Consider it for the sake of the child.’

The maiden, having come to a conclusion, let out a long breath and leaned against the pool wall, relaxing her body as she gazed up at the misty ceiling.

‘As for Yun Xueshang… fine, if it’s marriage, then it’s marriage. Who cares who I marry? Yun Xueshang it is, then. At least after marriage, I can still take advantage of her affection for me and continue to boss her around… That’s not so bad.’

‘It’s just that the marriage came a little suddenly, a little early. Besides, that woman isn’t exactly ugly, so I wouldn’t be losing out too much.’

The maiden, who had never concerned herself with matters of love, spending her days only on pleasure, slowly closed her eyes, letting the warm water envelop her body.

‘At worst… after returning to the valley, I’ll just play a little less.’

***

The night sky was still, with a few wisps of lingering clouds drifting by. A half-moon, embraced by stars, hung brightly in the firmament.

A flower boat sailed through the night, and on its foredeck stood a white-clad, white-haired figure, her back to the cabin, sword on her back, gazing up at the lone moon in the sky.

Her form was ethereal, her demeanor cool and detached, as if an immortal celestial maiden poised to ascend to the moon.

“What are you doing out here so late at night?”

The ‘celestial maiden’ turned at the sound, seeing a flash of red leaning against the cabin door, arms crossed.

“Fellow Daoist Hua.”

Yun Xueshang paused slightly, then replied softly, “I was merely contemplating some matters.”

“What could you be thinking that requires you to come out alone and gaze at the moon?”

Hua Yan frowned, also glancing up at the sky. “The moon isn’t even full yet. What’s so interesting to look at?”

“…”

“I was thinking about you.”

Yun Xueshang answered honestly.

“Me, me?”

For some reason, the red-haired maiden before her seemed a little flustered, a faint blush creeping onto her earlobes.

“Yes,” Yun Xueshang nodded gently. “I was wondering if my actions today caused you any trouble, Fellow Daoist Hua.”

“Does that even need to be said? Of course, it was troublesome!”

Hua Yan answered without ceremony.

“As expected…”

The white-haired maiden sighed softly at the anticipated reply, a trace of loss flickering in her eyes.

“Actually, I just wanted our relationship, Fellow Daoist Hua, to become a little closer.”

“…”

Seeing the undeniable disappointment on her serene face, Hua Yan fell silent for a moment, then abruptly changed the subject.

“Yun Xueshang, I ask you—when you went to the Joyful Union Sect back then, did you know that in the Yin-Yang Platform Grand Competition that day, the loser… would transform into the opposite gender?”

Yun Xueshang was startled by the question again, then answered earnestly,

“I did not know. At that time, Su Feiyao, the Saintess of the Joyful Union Sect, merely told me that their sect was holding a grand competition, once every five hundred years, which was very solemn, so I went.”

‘As expected…’

Hua Yan gazed at her clear red eyes in the moonlight, pondering silently.

Having spent these past few days together, she felt that this blockhead, Yun Xueshang, didn’t seem like the type of person who would rely on her strength and harbor malicious intent.

Perhaps she, like Hua Yan herself, had been completely unaware of the inside story of the Yin-Yang Platform Grand Competition and had just foolishly stepped onto the stage.

‘No, perhaps she had vaguely guessed the truth long ago. The reason she’d been dwelling on this matter all these years was simply that she couldn’t swallow her pride—she couldn’t accept that someone of her generation could be stronger than her, and even more, she couldn’t accept that she had been defeated by someone in a lower realm.’

“Alright, I understand.”

She suddenly turned. “Let’s go, it’s time to head back. Rongrong should be done with her bath. If she can’t find us both in the room, she’ll probably get anxious.”

“You… you’re not angry with me anymore?”

Yun Xueshang, however, was taken aback.

“Angry is angry, but what does it matter? Let’s go.”

‘Even if I’m angry, even if I despise this blockhead, what can I do? Once we return to the Hundred Blossom Valley, we’re going to get married. What else can I do?’

‘I can only reluctantly accept you, this blockhead, for now.’

‘Honestly… I, Hua Yan, have been brilliant my entire life. Which blind matchmaker tied me to such a dull, cold-faced block of wood as a Dao companion?’

Hua Yan pouted and turned to walk back. After two steps, she remembered something and added, without looking back, “From now on, don’t keep trailing after me. Go do whatever you need to do!”

Although she still couldn’t stand the person who had caused her to turn into a woman, upon reflection, she couldn’t really blame her.

‘When I change back in five hundred years… I’ll forgive her then.’

“Mm, alright.”

Yun Xueshang watched the red-haired maiden’s graceful retreating figure, momentarily stunned, then quickly followed, a faint smile gracing her serene eyes.

The two walked side by side along the small path in the courtyard, the evening breeze carrying a touch of coolness. Yun Xueshang suddenly remembered something else and asked softly,

“By the way, Fellow Daoist Hua. When I left the Joyful Union Sect due to urgent sect matters, I bought a magical artifact to conceal one’s appearance from Su Feiyao with an IOU, and entrusted her to give it to you as compensation… why have you never used it?”

????

Hua Yan froze abruptly, looking at her in shock.

‘What?! That artifact was bought by you with spirit stones?! That woman, Su Feiyao, actually told me it was compensation from the Joyful Union Sect?!’

‘Su Feiyao—you damned vixen! How dare you trick me!’

Hua Yan’s teeth immediately itched with anger, her chest heaving.

‘And you! Rongrong clearly told you that Grandmother found out, and I had no choice but to maintain my female form outside… yet you still ask me this way!’

The enraged Hua Yan glared fiercely at the white-haired maiden beside her.

‘I see! You’re just a lecher coveting my beauty, hoping I’ll remain a woman my whole life so you can cling to me, aren’t you!’

“Yun Xueshang! I truly will never forgive you in this lifetime!”

“Fellow Daoist Hua, wait for me…”

Yun Xueshang watched her fuming back, chasing after her with a bewildered expression.

Two figures, one red and one white, disappeared one after another into the night-shrouded small building, leaving only the full moonlight silently cascading down.