Chapter 8: A Naked Ambush and a Fiery Standoff

Hoo-heave, hoo-heave, hoo-heave.

Deep within the icy lake, Ye Lan’s pretty face glowed crimson, like a perfectly ripe apple. Her arms, as pristine as white jade, moved ceaselessly beneath the frigid water, while her petite bosom, which could ‘pacify the world,’ rose and fell with each breath.

After a long moment, an ice sword emerged from the lake. The breathless Ye Lan gazed at the crystal-clear blade, then plucked a strand of her hair, allowing it to drift freely onto the sword’s surface.

The instant the strand of hair settled upon the razor-sharp edge, the soft filament immediately split into two pieces, both halves stiffening like needles.

Ye Lan nodded in satisfaction at the sight. Excellent. All the effort she had poured into harnessing the icy lake’s power to forge this sword had not been in vain.

Indeed, the frigid aura of the entire ice lake had diminished by more than half because of it.

There was no other way. With the Xuan Yin Book Spirit’s prolonged absence, and fearing Quan Haoqing might discover her whereabouts and launch a surprise counter-attack, Ye Lan had focused all her energy on crafting this ice sword.

On one hand, it was for self-defense. On the other, it was to swiftly familiarize herself with her newly acquired magical power.

‘Hm?’

Unlike when she had first emerged from the icy lake, completely unwary of her surroundings, this time, she sensed someone approaching.

Just then, the Xuan Yin Book Spirit sent a message.

[Master, that idiot who stole your clothes and spirit stones is here! Get ready, we’re about to make a fortune!]

‘Oh, good, good! He actually came!’

‘How dare he steal my clothes and spirit stones? If that’s the case, he shouldn’t blame me for being impolite!’

‘Let’s settle all scores, old and new!’

Gazing at the placid lake surface, the Xuan Yin Book Spirit feigned confusion, asking, “Hm, where’s Master?”

“That fairy maiden should no longer be in the icy lake.”

Quan Haoqing wasn’t surprised. After such an awkward encounter, there was no way she would still be lingering in the ice lake.

Just then, the Blazing Starfall Tome Spirit’s warning arrived.

[Be careful! We can sense the presence of each other’s masters! It’s trying to mislead you!]

The very next second, from the section of the lake Quan Haoqing was approaching, an ice sword burst forth, aiming directly for his face.

Ye Lan was confident that her charged attack would at least severely wound Quan Haoqing, if not kill him. Yet, unexpectedly, Quan Haoqing reacted with such speed that he seemed to have anticipated the assault.

The longsword at his waist had been drawn at some unknown moment, its tip parrying the ice sword. This deflected the ice sword from its original trajectory, leaving only a shallow scratch on Quan Haoqing’s face.

But for some unknown reason, though Quan Haoqing had clearly evaded the fatal blow, his body stiffened for a fleeting moment.

Without hesitation, Ye Lan used the momentum of her sword strike to spin her body, seizing the opportunity. She kicked him squarely in the face, sending him flying into a distant colossal tree, which then bore a large crater from the impact.

“Cough, cough.”

Quan Haoqing coughed up two mouthfuls of blood. It wasn’t that he suffered from any attack-recovery lag or anything of the sort, but seriously, who could have known this person would attack stark naked, and with such wide, sweeping movements at that!

Even after the Xuan Yin Book Spirit feigned confusion, Quan Haoqing had already sensed something was amiss, even without the Blazing Starfall Tome Spirit’s warning. His fingers were already resting on his sword hilt, and he had cast his spiritual sense outwards. Naturally, he found nothing, for Ye Lan was concealed within the icy lake, shrouded by its innate frigid energy—the only place Quan Haoqing couldn’t penetrate with his senses.

Precisely because of this, Quan Haoqing had focused his primary attention on the icy lake.

Sure enough, the attack originated from the lake, allowing Quan Haoqing to react 0.1 seconds in advance.

He had calculated everything, but he had utterly failed to account for Ye Lan being completely unclothed!

‘Despicable, utterly despicable!’

‘To take advantage of a vigorous young man like him, who still preserved his virginity!’

‘Strike him while he’s down, and take his life!’

Completely disregarding her current state, Ye Lan’s fair, lotus-like feet stomped fiercely against the ground. She then launched herself forward like a sky-piercing arrow, her ice sword aimed directly at Quan Haoqing. Wherever she passed, the mere chill emanating from her caused flowers, grass, and trees to be coated in a thick layer of frost.

‘Hiss~’

Quan Haoqing suddenly realized how difficult it was to be a man of principle. For a moment, he didn’t even know how to look at Ye Lan.

Still, his life needed preserving.

Blazing Flame magical power enveloped his sword. Earlier, a mere clash of blades had almost made him lose his grip on his sword due to the ice sword’s chill. This time, he dared not be complacent.

Once again, he blocked Ye Lan’s attack with his sword. An bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped the area around them. Quan Haoqing’s exhaled breaths were clearly visible, and the air he inhaled pierced his lungs. The clothes on his body, already covered in frost, had become stiff and frigid.

Fortunately, the Blazing Starfall Tome Art was a cultivation technique of supreme Yang and utmost rigidity, which was why Quan Haoqing’s body remained unharmed.

Quan Haoqing attempted to resolve the situation with words: “Well, regardless of any misunderstandings between us, I believe we can still discuss this calmly. You see, you’re not exactly in a convenient state right now, are you?”

“It’s fine. Once I’ve dealt with you, everything will be convenient.”

‘Are you kidding? This is a perfect opening hand, and you want me to call it a draw?!’

Ye Lan sneered, her celestial beauty uttering terrifying words: “Go on, stare all you want. It’ll be the last ‘benefit’ you enjoy in this world anyway.”

“Hmph!”

Quan Haoqing forcefully pushed Ye Lan away. He clearly held an advantage in raw strength, but Ye Lan excelled in her agility and unpredictability.

In mid-air, she continuously shifted her position by stepping on surrounding branches. Her pristine, jade-like feet remained unsullied by a speck of dust, and her lithe form resembled a spirit of the trees.

Quan Haoqing was in agony. On one hand, he was already injured and couldn’t fight Ye Lan with his full strength. On the other, he had to suppress the surging desires within his heart, preventing his focus from straying.

Although she had a ‘chest that pacified the world’ (TL Note: A humorous, self-deprecating or ironic expression for a small bust), to be fair, Ye Lan was undeniably a beauty with a captivating face and an extraordinary, elegant demeanor. Her figure was graceful and slender, every movement possessing a rhythmic elegance. Aside from her ‘double-A’ (TL Note: A humorous reference to a very small bust size, often used in Chinese web novels), there was absolutely nothing to fault about her.

‘This trial was practically cheating for him!’

Their sword tips clashed incessantly. Feeling his body grow increasingly heavy, and the circulation of his magical power slowly become sluggish, Quan Haoqing knew he could wait no longer.

“I’m going to use *that*.”

[Blazing Starfall Tome Spirit: Alright.]

As Ye Lan once more descended from mid-air, swinging her ice sword down upon him, Quan Haoqing took a deep breath.

Immediately, a surge of scorching energy boiled within Quan Haoqing’s dantian, as if a raging inferno was consuming his dantian as fuel.

The three-foot radius of chilling air around him was instantly dispelled. A blazing fire enveloped his sword, and his eyes shone with a sharp light, like ‘Fiery Golden Eyes’.

“Oh no, what is that?!”

The Xuan Yin Book Spirit paused in momentary shock, then hastily warned, [This is a desperate move from the Blazing Starfall Tome Art! Get out of the way!]

Ye Lan desperately wanted to launch an attack, but her body was already suspended in mid-air. With no point of leverage, her only option was to use offense as defense.

The fiery sword and the ice sword collided, and an immense cloud of steam billowed outwards from their center, quickly shrouding the entire forest in a dense mist.

At this moment, Ye Lan, gripping her sword with both hands, was sprawled atop Quan Haoqing. The blade was pressed firmly against Quan Haoqing’s throat. Although a mere few centimeters of movement would easily claim his life, she dared not stir.

The reason was simple: Quan Haoqing’s longsword was also pressed against her throat. If she moved even slightly, so would he.

Ye Lan didn’t imagine herself a headless horseman, capable of living without her head. Nor did she have any desire to perish alongside Quan Haoqing, as she still had a great vendetta to settle. All she could do was curse the Xuan Yin Book Spirit silently.

‘Damn it, why didn’t you tell me he had this move earlier!’

The Xuan Yin Book Spirit felt deeply wronged: [Who could have known that out of the Blazing Starfall Tome Art’s initial three moves, he’d practice *this* one first?! This guy’s definitely got something wrong with his head; that single move cost him at least ten years of his lifespan!]

“Ah~, what a fated encounter.”

The standoff had solidified. Ye Lan stared fixedly with ‘dead fish eyes’ at the man standing frozen by the cold pond. A thousand alpacas (TL Note: A humorous internet meme, equivalent to ‘facepalming’ or ‘WTF’) stampeded through her mind. She suppressed her voice to the lowest possible whisper, trying to contain the surging frustration within her. “Wouldn’t you agree, lustful Fellow Daoist? Colluding with a book—you really outdid yourself.”

She had truly never expected this. After finally managing to send her archenemy away, her own foolish book, which only indulged in idle fantasies, had actually brought him back.

Although its intention had been to rob and kill, since it hadn’t succeeded, it was naturally entirely its fault.

‘Can you please stop talking like that!’

The heady scent wafted into his nostrils, and the inexplicable softness pressed against him sent Quan Haoqing’s mind into a whirl. Resisting the allure of her beauty had already consumed a great deal of his concentration. Unable to deploy any of his usual smooth rhetoric, he asked helplessly, “Um, could you perhaps give me a chance to clear my name?”

Ye Lan gritted her teeth, “Caught red-handed! What’s there to explain?!”

Quan Haoqing tried to persuade her, “There’s still an explanation. Um, perhaps you could put on some clothes first?”

“Heh heh, do you think I don’t want to? My only set of undergarments is in your storage bag! This is utterly despicable, shameless, and filthy to the extreme. I actually thought you were a person with some bottom line and principles, yet you resorted to using my clothes to threaten me. It’s too naive to think I’d meekly comply! I’d rather be shattered jade than intact tile!”

The Xuan Yin Book Spirit also floated to Ye Lan’s side, declaring with shared indignation, “Exactly! Highway robbery, lining your own pockets! I asked you for the clothes many times, but you refused, even trying to extort my master with her personal garments. Alas, the cultivation world truly has fallen into decline; there are countless bullies and tyrants now.”

Quan Haoqing shot a glance at the Xuan Yin Book Spirit. ‘You’ve said it all, haven’t you? Did you ever once mention that those clothes were your master’s *only* set?!’

Quan Haoqing straightened his expression. “Then let me rephrase. While I may have been in the wrong initially, I absolutely had no intention of threatening Fellow Daoist. Moreover, given our current predicament, I don’t wish to die, and I trust Fellow Daoist doesn’t either. So, we must reach some resolution. The time until the secret realm closes is not far off, is it?”

Ye Lan narrowed her eyes, probing, “Considering you’ve already enjoyed so many ‘benefits,’ shouldn’t you be able to die without regrets?”

Quan Haoqing: “…Fellow Daoist jokes. This is hardly enough to make me smile in the afterlife. Let’s discuss that once Fellow Daoist becomes my Dao companion.”

Ye Lan scoffed, “Heh heh, do you take me for one of those cloistered young ladies? To follow you just because you’ve seen me unclothed? You’ve read too many novels, haven’t you? Why don’t you go daydream in a women’s bathhouse?”

Quan Haoqing felt utterly helpless. He would indeed take responsibility for accidentally seeing her unclothed, but as Ye Lan said, he was merely daydreaming.

Besides, he wasn’t prepared for such a commitment. He hadn’t even ascertained her identity, and given their current life-or-death dynamic, a simple ‘I’ll take responsibility’ wouldn’t resolve anything.