140: Plans and Surprises

Plans and Surprises

It wasn't late in the day yet, but I was so exhausted that I fell asleep in his arms all the same. I appreciated the opportunity—sleeping next to him was something that I didn't have the luxury of ever since we arrived at Jade Temple, and it made me so comfortable that when I woke up, the room was already under a blanket of darkness. My head was still resting snuggly on his shoulder, and the sheets had all been cleansed afresh.1

"What time is it?" I asked. My voice was a little hoarse from all the squealing, and I cleared my throat somewhat embarrassedly. The effect from the cream was long gone now, but the wild memory was still there, threatening to burn me all over again. I willed those little tickles into silence.

"Just past midnight." He dropped a kiss on my forehead like he always did in the morning when we woke up together. There was an unusual tiredness to his voice though.

"Were you awake this whole time?" I looked up at him. Did he not want to risk oversleeping till morning when everyone else was out?

He smiled. "I … wanted to watch you a little longer." He tightened his arm around me. "You look beautiful in your sleep, as always."

I chuckled. "Won't you have enough years to look at me without sacrificing your sleep? It's not like the power enhancer can change my look by that much—" I paused, remembering something, "—speaking of which, I think I can feel the effect of that artifact integrating into my body already."

The chill from earlier was completely gone now, and I felt nothing but warm energy flowing through me, pulsing more vigorously than ever. Jade Temple's treasures were truly phenomenal.

He nodded. "You should start seeing the outcome very quickly as well. When the individual rounds start tomorrow, don't be surprised to find out that your usual rivals are not your match anymore."

"Tomorrow?" I stared at him. "The next round starts tomorrow? Not even a day's break?"

He chuckled. "If everyone gets too much free time on their hands, who can guarantee they won't start fighting and stealing each other's prizes?"

I suppose that was a reasonable thought. After all, there had been enough fighting and stealing on the tournament ground already. "The sooner it starts, the sooner it ends," I consoled myself. "I miss Mount Hua … and I can't wait to go back already."

He was quiet for a moment. Then he gathered me closer, leaning my face into his neck. "Qing-er," he said softly, "when we return to Mount Hua … I'll be on a retreat for a little while."

I stilled. Retreat was what cultivators called a long meditation in seclusion. It was usually done before a major breakthrough and could last anywhere from days to years. "You are expecting a breakthrough?" I asked. Why had he never mentioned it to me until now?

"In a way … I've been trying to postpone it, but it seems like I won't be able to wait much longer."

Breakthroughs were things worth celebrating—once successful, a cultivator's power could easily increase ten-fold, and their lifespan would become much longer as well. But something told me that there was more to what Bai Ye was planning. "You're not … expecting some kind of danger, are you?" I ventured. Retreats were risky and could frequently go awry. Was that why he didn't want to tell me about it?

"It'll be alright. I just don't know how long it'll take," he said. "I'll miss you."

I let out a sigh of relief, then a chuckle. "You won't miss me. You won't be able to think about anything else while meditating for all that time. I'll be the one to miss you."

He laughed softly. "You have a point." 

"I have something to tell you too." I wiggled in his embrace, trying to look up at him, though I gave up after he refused to loosen his hold on me. "I've decided that after we go back from this tournament, I won't use Twin Stars anymore."

He stiffened. "Not because I don't trust it," I explained hastily, not wanting him to mistake my intention. "I've always wanted to be stronger … but after this tournament, I think I've learned that there's more than one way to achieve that goal. Even though Twin Stars doesn't have the same power as it used to, it's still a demonic sword, and there's always a risk to using it, isn't there? I don't want to resort to a power like this … if there could be other alternatives."

When he said nothing in response, I added, "To be honest, the main reason I wanted to keep Twin Stars before was … I wanted its power to help me with my ascension. I wanted it to help me with my progress so that I can break free from a mortal's lifespan and … be with you longer." I wrapped my arms around him. "I know you probably expect me to have more grand goals in life than this, but that has always been what I wanted most. Now that I have the help of Ocean Tear, I'm finally close enough to my goal that I shouldn't need Twin Stars anymore."

He listened to me quietly. Just as I was starting to wonder if his silence suggested disapproval, a kiss landed on the top of my head. "I wish you had told me this sooner," he whispered. "You've always wanted strength, before and …" He paused. "I didn't know …"

I chuckled. "Have I not proven enough to you how much I love you, Bai Ye? Or … want you?" I wiggled again, teasingly rubbing myself over his bulge. "I—"

His arms tightened more, so tight this time that I could barely breathe. "Don't move, Qing-er." That hard edge had returned to his voice. "Let me just hold you like this for a little longer."

I was puzzled by what he said, but I obeyed. He didn't say another word afterward. Resting my head over his shoulder, I fell asleep again, and when I woke up to a bright morning, he had already sneaked out of my room.

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