Chapter 97: Brother, You Are So Nice
On the roadside beside the field, a woman in a chiffon long skirt and a beige beret tilted her head slightly. When she looked up, her violet eyes met Xia Feng's from a distance.
After Xia Feng gave her a polite nod, he turned back to continue his conversation with the woman in the black dress beside him.
Cha Naxue pursed her lips, her expression complicated.
When she had emerged from her secluded cultivation the previous month, she had intended to discuss the practice of "Double Moon" with Xia Feng. However, as soon as she left seclusion, her subordinates had presented her with an unwelcome surprise—directly offending Xia Feng.
Because of this, after their fair duel, she had no choice but to abandon her plans of seeking Xia Feng's guidance and returned to Moon Deer Flower Pond to resume her secluded cultivation.
Yet no matter how much she analyzed the "Moon God Realm," she couldn't grasp its essence. Though she meticulously deconstructed its intricate structures one by one, her progress remained only third among the four Quasi-Saints. Worse still, the gap between her and the second-ranked cultivator was widening.
The top two were both following the Double Moon Path.
Meanwhile, she and the fourth-ranked Quasi-Saint pursued the Lonely Moon Path, lagging noticeably behind.
She had come to realize that she had overestimated her own abilities. While the Lonely Moon Path might offer greater ease in later stages, the prerequisite was surviving the early phase—something she now struggled with.
"My Lord, that woman is watching you," Yin Daiban murmured in a low voice.
Cha Naxue glanced over and locked eyes with the woman in the black dress standing beside Xia Feng.
She recognized Mu Qingtong—the very fiancée she had introduced to Xia Feng.
Seeing Xia Feng chatting animatedly with the woman in the black dress, it seemed he was quite fond of her.
As she pondered, the black-clad woman—her gaze serene and beautiful—offered a polite nod before calmly looking away.
"My Lord, she seems to be provoking you," Yin Daiban whispered again.
"..."
Ignoring her subordinate's baseless interpretation, Cha Naxue prepared to step forward when a sickly sweet voice called out from behind her.
"Brother Gongsun, look! Those two sisters are so pretty~"
"Pretty? I think they're just average—nowhere near as lovely as our dear little Lina~" a man's deep voice replied tenderly.
"Brother, you're so nice~~"
The woman's artificial, saccharine tone made Cha Naxue's eyelid twitch, and she quickened her pace to distance herself from the pair.
But the woman behind her suddenly spoke again, her voice dripping with feigned concern:
"Sister Naixue, I heard you still haven't entered the Moon Goddess's realm yet? Is that true?"
Cha Naxue stopped in her tracks, exhaled quietly, and turned to reply coldly, "Do you have some advice, Miss Lina?"
The woman before her was Yulina, a Quasi-Saint from the Northern Border, currently ranked second in cultivation progress.
Yulina bit her lip, her heavily made-up face adopting a pitiful expression. "Sister, don't be so cold! I only want to help you~"
Tugging at the sleeve of the man beside her, she pouted and whined, "Brother~ Sister Naixue hasn't broken through yet. She's so pitiful! Won't you help her?"
The man had deep, peach-blossom eyes and a perpetually gentle smile that exuded warmth. His gaze rested calmly on Cha Naxue as he said:
"If Miss Naixue wishes, I can assist her with a spirit weapon."
"No need." Cha Naxue's voice was icy, her reply curt.
The man before her was Gongsun Ze, Yulina's dual cultivation partner. The spirit weapon he possessed could enhance a spiritual master's comprehension of spiritual clothes—but only after performing certain unsavory acts. It was precisely this advantage that had allowed Yulina's cultivation progress to surge far ahead.
Cha Naxue had no intention of further interaction with either of them. She turned and walked away without another word.
Watching the retreating figure of the snow-skirted woman, Yulina's eyes glinted with cold disdain. "How ungrateful," she sneered. "And still putting on such airs."
She clung to Gongsun Ze's arm, her powdered face tilting coquettishly. "Brother~ You see it too, don't you?"
Gongsun Ze's peach-blossom eyes crinkled as he patted her hand reassuringly. "Of course, my darling. When the time comes, I'll make sure she's properly… disciplined."
"Brother, you're the absolute best~"
His gaze lingered on Cha Naxue's departing silhouette, a faint smile playing on his lips. This was the first time he'd encountered a woman so utterly indifferent to his charms—proud, untamed, and entirely uninterested.
Amused, he chuckled under his breath. "What a delightfully stubborn little wildcat."
...
"My Lord, where are you going?"
The silver-armored knight hurried after Cha Naxue as she strode purposefully toward the Holy Department's contingent.
Stopping before Xia Feng, Cha Naxue spoke softly but firmly: "Xia Feng, come with me. We need to talk."
Xia Feng arched a brow, unmoved. "Say whatever you need to here."
When he refused to yield, Cha Naxue pressed her lips together and fell silent.
"Kuihua! Quit gawking and help unload the gear!" Taoist Chen delivered a light kick to Cai Kuihua's backside, jerking his chin toward their off-road vehicle.
"Huh? Oh—right!" Rubbing his posterior, Cai Kuihua scrambled after Chen Xingdao but couldn't resist glancing back enviously. "Damn… Who is this Brother Xia? Even Cha Naxue's connected to him?"
With the two men gone, Cha Naxue shifted her attention to the black-clad woman beside Xia Feng.
"Shall I give you privacy?" Mu Qingtong asked flatly.
Xia Feng shook his head. "Unnecessary."
Cha Naxue's eyelid twitched.
Her gaze then drifted to the red-robed woman with fox-like allure who seemed faintly familiar. "And you are?"
The princess blinked, puffing out her chest with ceremonial dignity. "I am Yue Hongli, the master's personal maid."
"Yue… Hongli?!"
Cha Naxue stiffened. The crown prince's consort? Since when was she involved with Xia Feng? Just what had transpired during her seclusion?
Noting her hesitation, Xia Feng sighed. "If you've got something to say, out with it."
Cha Naxue lowered her lashes, drew a steadying breath, and met his eyes. "Xiao Feng. I wish to cultivate the Moon Path with you—"
"Rejected."
"I haven't even explained!" The composure finally cracked, her lips trembling with suppressed frustration as she glared at him.
"Don't need to." Xia Feng crossed his arms, his expression hardening as memories of Yan Xujia resurfaced. "It's about the Moon Goddess Realm, isn't it? Cha Naxue, you still haven't apologized for last time. Not that I'd necessarily accept it, but demanding favors now is beyond audacious."
(End of Chapter)