As the sun rose, shining light on Hua Qingyan's garden, illuminating a pavilion surrounded by vibrant flowers. Inside the pavilion, which had a low table and cushions, was now replaced with a high table and chairs.
"Hmm, hmm, hmm."
Hua Qingyan slowly swung left to right, her legs swinging lightly under the table as she hummed a tune in a happy mood. In front of her was warm tea with cookies that Bai Shuying had baked.
It's such a perfect day! So beautiful!
Hua Qingyan thought while nibbling on a cookie.
Hua Xiran arrived wanting to discuss with her mother about what happened yesterday with Bai Shuying, but when she saw her mother radiating happiness, she almost went blind.
Hua Xiran narrowed her eyes and was shocked.
Why does she look younger?! What is this youthful aura she's radiating?!
Hua Xiran thought.
In the past, Hua Qingyan gave off a mature elder vibe, but now, the vibe around her was a young girl blooming in spring.
Did her cultivation increase?!
Hua Xiran took a closer look at Hua Qingyan and noticed her cultivation was now closer to reaching the soul transformation realm.
"Congratulations, mother!"
Hua Xiran quickly said with excitement. She was worried about her mother, since a nascent soul realm cultivator due not age, but her mother looked older as the years went by, and her stagnated cultivation made Hua Xiran feel as if a stone weighed down on her heart. Now, seeing her like this made Hua Xiran feel a sense of relief she could not help but thank Bai Shuying in her heart.
Yes, Hua Xiran knew she was not a fool. A woman who practices the Yin-Yang Fusion Scripture went through drastic changes in less than a day, and the only person she had contact with in that time frame was a vixen.
If Bai Shuying knew Hua Xiran thought of her as a vixen, she would protest by saying.
I'm only half a vixen, hmph!
Hearing Hua Xiran, Hua Qingyan showed a beautiful smile, but soon turned complicated, feeling guilty, thinking about what happened with Bai Shuying.
I should tell Xiran what happened. That your mother eats young grass!
"I'm sorry, Xiran, Um…"
Hua Xiran heard her mother's apology and was stunned. She sighed and said.
"Mother, I can already guess why you're apologizing, but I do not mind, after all, who are we?"
Hua Qingyan sighed with relief at Hua Xiran's words, but tilted her head in confusion at her question.
Seeing Hua Qingyan like this, Hua Xiran frowned and pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation, thinking.
Why did I make you the Grand Elder?!
Hua Xiran regretted putting her mother in this position, only a little bit.
"Mother, we are demonesses! Yin-Yang Sect demonesses! We do not have any morality when it comes to relationships! So, what if mother and daughter share the same person?"
Hua Xiran stated with passion and pride, puffing her prominent chest out.
Yes, what morality? Many years ago, the Yin-Yang Sect went on an outing and dropped it on the side of the road. When they came back and noticed it was gone, they shrugged their shoulders. Years later, when they are asked if they have any morality, they would answer, " What's that?"
Hua Qingyan sat dazed at what Hua Xiran had said, thinking.
Yes, what morality? We are Yin-Yang Sect demonesses!
Hua Qingyan felt a change inside, and a new light shone on her; she could not help but be proud of her daughter.
"Anyways, Mother, we need to drain that little fox so she won't make any more messy relationships!"
Hua Xiran seriously said while looking at Hua Qingyan, who seriously nodded.
Not many know this, but when Hua Qingyan was young, to chase her love, she was aggressive and relentless until she obtained it. She mellowed out with age, but this was the beginning for her daughter, Hua Xiran.
As they say, daughters are like their mother.
If Bai Shuying knew she was being targeted by three demonesses, she would have run back to her little wooden shack.
…
"Damn it!"
Bai Shuying was startled awake by Su Meilin cursing out loud. She rubbed her eyes and looked out the window, noticing the sun was rising. She then turned her attention to Su Meilin on her right side. Su Meilin had red eyes and clutched the book in her hand as if expressing her anger.
"Uh, Meilin, why are you cursing in the morning?"
"Shuying, its this damn author Xiao Bai! She's such a bastard!"
Now, Bai Shuying felt complicated.
You come to me aggrieved and curse me at the same time.
"Meilin, don't tell me you stayed awake the entire night reading?"
"Shuying, I could not help it, the book was too good, but I couldn't help but get angry at that woman, Mo Xinyu! How dare she break up Su Yan and Ye Ming?!"
Bai Shuying was stunned that her mediocre work, or so she thought, was so riveting.
"Wait, Meilin, you're angry at Mo Xinyu, but not at Ye Ming?"
Bai Shuying was confused.
Usually, people would blame the cheater, but Bai Shuying was using the common sense of her world in the Martial Heaven Continent. Here, women were not helpless, maybe mortal women, but not cultivators, so a woman who had her man cheat on her with another woman would definitely go kill that woman. This mentality was especially potent in the Yin-Yang Sect Pure Love faction.
That's why Mo Xingyu will never admit she put a green hat on Hua Qingyan; she still wants to keep her life.
"What do you mean, Shuying? Of course, you have to deal with this thieving cat, Mo Xinyu!"
"Then what about the cheater Ye Ming?"
"Of course, lock him in the house and drown him in love! He cheated cause he didn't get enough."
You want to smother the guy!
Bai Shuying felt her world change. She gulped and nervously asked.
"U-uh, Meilin, who taught you that?"
"Of course, who else but the master?"
Su Meilin proudly said.
Gasp, a yandere raised another yandere!
"Was it just the master's thoughts, or did the master learn it from someone else?"
"Hmm, master said she learned it from her mother."
Fuck! Its a whole damn chain!
Bai Shuying was shocked at this discovery, but she failed to notice that this chain with three links was wrapped around her.
"Forget about that, Shuying. We have to find this Xiao Bai and give her some color!"
Su Meilin stated, waving her small fist in the air with a determined look on her face. Bai Shuying thought it was cute, but was more concerned about what she said.
"Meilin, what do you mean by color?"
"Hmph, turn Xiao Bai into a Xiao Hong!"
Brutal!
Bai Shuying panicked and made a vow to never reveal her identity.
Bai Shuying's last name, Bai, means white, while the Xiao in her pen name meant little; put it together, and you get little white. Now, Hong means red, so Su Meilin actually said make her from little white to little red.
Su Meilin grabbed Bai Shuying's hand.
"You'll help me, right, Shuying?"
Bai Shuying was helpless in front of beauty, especially a beauty she knew.
"Yeah, let's do it, Meilin!"
"Ya!"
Su Meilin beamed with joy while Bai Shuying thought.
Got to pretend, I'm not lying to her, I'll help her find this Xiao Bai.
"Wait, Shuying, how did you know it was Ye Ming who cheated?"
Are you the Meilin I know? Why are you so sharp suddenly?!
"C-cough, of course I know, I read it secretly."
Su Meilin eyed Bai Shuying suspiciously.
"Then why did you say you don't know it?"
Bai Shuying felt cold sweat drip down her back while Su Meilin showed a knowing smile.
"I get it, don't worry, Shuying."
Now, Bai Shuying was confused.
What did you get?
"Well, you should probably head to class. See you later, Shuying."
No, wait, what did you get?!
…
Bai Shuying got ready to leave her room and head to the alchemy class; she grabbed her Yin Gourd.
"Why does my Yin Gourd feel lighter?"
Bai Shuying said while shaking her Yin Gourd, hearing the slushing sound of liquid, then taking a sip.
"Yup, still delicious, but why is there a little sweetness?"
Bai Shuying was confused by the addition of a strange flavor. The alcohol inside the Yin Gourd that Bai Shuying made was a little sour, but mellow taste overall.
While Bai Shuying was getting ready, Su Meilin helped herself to her Yin Gourd before she left.
Bai Shuying attached the Yin Gourd to her waist.
As she walked to the alchemy class, Bai Shuying noticed a weird atmosphere in the sect. When she looked around, she saw that it was mostly the female disciples. Feeling uncomfortable, she quickly entered the meeting hall and sat on her usual cushion.
Bai Shuying waited for the class to begin.
"Shuying, good morning!"
"Yunxi, good morning."
Xiao Yunxi greeted Bai Shuying while taking a seat next to her. Bai Shuying replied to her greeting and asked.
"Hey, Yunxi, did something happen in the sect recently?"
Xiao Yunxi tilted her head in thought.
"Oh, something did happen."
Xiao Yunxi said with a frown on her face.
Bai Shuying tilted her head, wanting Xiao Yunxi to continue.
"Do you know a book titled Love in the Ashes became popular in the sect, especially among the female disciples?"
Bai Shuying nodded her head while she had a bad feeling about where Xiao Yunxi was going.
"A lot of the female disciples became die-hard fans after the first book, but the second one…"
Bai Shuying gulped nervously. While Xiao Yunxi was trying to find the right words to explain to Bai Shuying.
"It created a rift between three groups."
"Three groups?"
Now, Bai Shuying was confused.
"Oh, you don't know?"
Bai Shuying nodded her head.
Xiao Yunxi was stunned.
Shuying, do you live under a rock?
Bai Shuying is not a socialite like Xiao Yunxi, which is why she gets along with Hua Qingyan, two loners, two peas in a pod.
"During the release of the first book, a group was formed called Su Ming, which supports the relationship between Su Yan and Ye Ming."
Xiao Yunxi seriously said while looking at Bai Shuying.
Bai Shuying was confused, but nodded her head as if she understood.
"But after the release of the second book, a new group formed called Mo Ming, which supports Mo Xinyu and Ye Ming."
Xiao Yunxi continued to explain.
Bai Shuying, hearing the group names and what they support, thought.
It couldn't be?!
Bai Shuying was shocked. This reminded her of those crazy fans who were obsessed with a certain book where a vampire and a wolf fought over a human girl.
As a reader, Bai Shuying understood shipping characters, but she could not understand why that applied to her book. Bai Shuying's first volume focused on a single pair; she could understand supporting that match, but now, with the second volume of her book, she could not understand why they supported this new match.
This… makes no sense! It's not a love triangle, Su Yan and Ye Ming are already a couple, and Mo Xinyu is a green tea!
Bai Shuying wanted her second volume to be about betrayal, but Bai Shuying did not know, she had made a massive mistake. As a reader suddenly turned author, she forgot one important thing for authors—the Audience.
When authors write books, they target a certain group of people. Bai Shuying, hearing Hua Qingyan's past, wrote her book to teach the importance of love and cherishing your partner, but she did not realize that the Pure Love faction was an oddity in the Yin-Yang Sect, especially Hua Qingyan herself.
Over the years, everyone had come to believe the Yin-Yang Sect dual cultivation dao is through intimate intercourse, but it was never meant to be like this. If the founder of the Yin-Yang Sect knew this is how their sect turned out, they would have cried.
The new disciples enter the sect with this expectation in mind, while the old disciples' minds were contaminated with the ideas of the Luxuria faction.
So when they read the first book, the new disciples were astonished at this unique perspective, while the older disciples were envious of this ideal, after all, this group of people had already experienced the ups and downs of relationships.
Bai Shuying truly did accomplish what she set out to do with her book, but the second volume was an unexpected reaction.
The new disciples hated Mo Xinyu for breaking up Su Ming, while the older disciples cheered for Mo Xinyu and the forming of Mo Ming; after all, they related to this character more.
The majority of the demonesses in the Yin-Yang Sect were promiscuous!
Now, you may wonder why Elder Mo was offended. Simple, it is fine if it is done secretly, but once it is in the open, it is shameful. In the end, all the people in the Yin-Yang Sect can agree on one thing: do not steal someone else's partner, cheating is wrong!
They are all grown adults, well, except Bai Shuying, who has not reached the age of sixteen, which in the Martial Heaven Continent signifies adulthood. You can agree on certain things before a relationship begins and discuss certain things while in a relationship, but you can not secretly do things.
You want to have multiple partners, get their permission. You want to add a partner while in a relationship, get that partner's permission.
Truly, people are complex beings.
Bai Shuying thought for a moment and noticed something Xiao Yunxi said that made no sense.
"Wait, Yunxi, you said three groups, but only mentioned two. So, who's the third group?"
Bai Shuying understood the two pairings, but could not figure out the third.
Xiao Yunxi slightly blushed, looked left and right. She slowly came closer to Bai Shuying. Bai Shuying found her behavior odd, but leaned her ear closer.
"Well, the third group is Mo Yan, who supports Su Yan and Mo Xinyu."
Xiao Yunxi softly whispered.
Bai Shuying was shocked.
"Wait, why do they support this pairing of Su Yan and Mo Xinyu? They are both women?"
Xiao Yunxi looked at Bai Shuying with a weird expression.
"Who cares if their both women?"
Bai Shuying was stunned.
Bai Shuying forgets that the disciples of the Yin-Yang Sect are very open-minded.
"B-but the author never hinted at such a pairing?"
Xiao Yunxi tilted her head, and her twin tails swayed.
"Of course the author did!"
Xiao Yunxi said with confidence in her voice.
No, I didn't!
Bai Shuying screamed in her mind. Xiao Yunxi pulled the second volume of the book from inside her robes. When Bai Shuying saw the book, her lips twitched.
Xiao Yunxi's book had pieces of paper between certain pages of the book as if she were marking them.
Xiao Yunxi did not pay attention to Bai Shuying and quickly flipped the pages of the book to a certain point. She laid the book in front of Bai Shuying and pointed at a certain part.
Bai Shuying read it and was confused.
"See, how Su Yan and Mo Xinyu confront each other here, you can sense the tension between the two."
Xiao Yunxi passionately said. Bai Shuying nodded her head at Xiao Yunxi while thinking.
What tension?! This is clearly a confrontation!
"Look at how Mo Xinyu slammed her hand against the wall, cornering and confronting Su Yan, and then look at how Su Yan retaliates by pinching Mo Xinyu's chin."
Xiao Yunxi shivered with excitement that she did not notice Bai Shuying scot her butt a little farther away from her.
Bai Shuying did not know how women confronted each other, so she just wrote it based on questionable books she had read in the past. To Bai Shuying, it was a confrontation, but to the others, it was suggestive and provocative.
"Cough, Yunxi, I wanted to ask if you had any information on the sect elders?"
Bai Shuying returned the book and quickly changed the subject. Xiao Yunxi snapped out of her weird state and placed the book back into her robes.
"Oh, you came to the right person!"
Xiao Yunxi tapped her chest and pulled out a jade slip from her spatial ring. Seeing this, Bai Shuying thought.
You have a spatial ring, but you keep the book inside your robes?
Xiao Yunxi handed the jade slip to Bai Shuying. Bai Shuying smiled and said.
"Yunxi, thank you!"
"Hehehe, come on, Shuying, as friends, do we need to say thank you to each other?"
Xiao Yunxi said with a bright smile.
Bai Shuying was touched.
Xiao Yunxi was the first person to extend a hand of friendship to Bai Shuying. Bai Shuying excluded Su Meilin. After leaving seclusion, Su Meilin made it her goal to bathe with Bai Shuying, but it has yet to be accomplished. Bai Shuying just felt she was after her body.
Remembering Xiao Yunxi gave her the young beauties' list, now this jade slip, as well as the concern she showed during the alchemy duel, she felt she kept receiving but did not give anything to Xiao Yunxi.
Bai Shuying did not like receiving without giving anything back, since in any relationship, one must give and receive.
Bai Shuying suddenly thought of the perfect gift for Xiao Yunxi. She pulled out two books and handed them to Xiao Yunxi.
Xiao Yunxi looked at the two books curiously, but was stunned.
Bai Shuying smiled and said with some embarrassment.
"Thank you, Yunxi, it's not much, but here are two books signed by the author."
Xiao Yunxi was touched by Bai Shuying's kindness.
Xiao Yunxi was the type to have many friends, but it was not a meaningful connection. Usually, she tries to help anyone, but rarely does someone she considers a friend give back to her.
Seeing Bai Shuying being embarrassed and scratching her cheek, Xiao Yunxi thought.
Hehehe, a friend!
"Thank You, Shuying!"
Xiao Yunxi said with a bright smile.