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Chapter 35: A Top Tier Beauty's Acting Skills are Quite Profound.
A whole week had breezed by since the showdown between the Young Master and Yang Wei.
Now, there were no more constant disturbances.
Not even from Mu Lin.
Yang Wei was now back to his peaceful routine of cultivating, tending to his garden, and sweeping the courtyard.
He wasn't aware of Huo Zhenwei's current state, but he was certain Jin Tianyu must've been hospitalized.
Expectedly, he was enjoying the calm after the storm.
Having mastered the eighth stage of the Vital Qi Practice –the Qi Channeling Mudra, he had unlocked Essence Qi. This propelled him into the 1st stage of the Mortal Realm— a full-fledged Mortal Initiate.
Now, he was set to embark on cultivating two additional arts alongside his standard spirit root cultivation: the Soul Harmony Attunement Arts, which is the unique cultivation technique of Spirit Harmony Peak, and the Dragon Vein Cultivation, the specialized technique used by the Dragon Blossom Sect as a whole.
In the study room cluttered with wooden scrolls, Yang Wei, holding the Dragon Vein Cultivation scroll, rested his head on his palm, elbow planted on the desk.
Absorbed in studying the scroll, he pondered aloud, "Spirit root cultivation or Dragon Vein Cultivation? Not sure which one to focus on."
He considered about balancing both, but of course that would make him busier.
A sigh escaped him as he dropped the scroll on the table.
"Maybe I should hit the market today. I have to push those elemental spirit root paths to the first level of Mortal Realm, and that's gonna need a bunch of resources."
Yang Wei slumped back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh.
The weight of choosing the right cultivation technique bore down on him. "Honestly, this is tougher than picking what flavor of spice should be used to cook a well roasted meat," he muttered to himself.
After some contemplation, he mumbled, "I guess I should focus on spirit root cultivation. After all, I'm not officially part of the sect, so messing with the Dragon Vein might raise eyebrows."
He scratched his head, thinking about how he stumbled upon that Dragon Vein Cultivation scroll in Lingxi's belongings.
Leaning back and staring at the ceiling, he pondered, "I really need to cut it out with this sneaky stuff. Lingxi practically handed me her place, and that includes her study hall." He chuckled, "But that Dragon Vein Cultivation scroll is like that fancy keg of wine you hide from your visitors."
When Mu Lingxi gave him her courtyard, she indirectly conveyed the freedom to utilize her study hall, a privilege Yang Wei exercised.
Nonetheless, the Dragon Vein Cultivation scroll was stored apart from the fundamental cultivation technique scrolls, implying that access to the latter wasn't intended.
Despite these implied "restrictions", he did whatever.
Scratching his head, he pondered aloud, "Then again, if using sect techniques is suspicious, why did Mu Zhong hand me the Soul Harmony Attunement Arts scroll? Doesn't that count as the same thing?"
He groaned tiredly. "This is stressful..."
Yang Wei wasn't exactly paranoid about using these techniques in the Outer Sect exams, but he knew that if he wanted to climb the ranks, he had to keep it on the down-low.
"I can't let Sister Ling get any ideas about Chief Mu and Mu Zhong pulling the strings."
If Ling Meiyan hadn't already seen him in the Outer Sect robes, he likely wouldn't have thought on this matter much.
KNOCK! KNOCK!!
A sudden knock echoed through the room.
This snapped Yang Wei out of his unusually deep thoughts.
"Hm?"
He raised an eyebrow, stood up, and strolled over to the door.
With a creak, the door parted, revealing a woman waiting outside.
"Oh, it's you."
Those were the first words he said when he saw her.
Mu Lin.
And less often than not, she was wearing a sweet, warm smile.
In her hands, she held a basket.
"Yes, it's me. I came all the way for you," she said.
There was heavy emphasis on the "you" as she raised the basket toward him while her big brown eyes crawled up to twinkle at him.
Yang Wei, ever the skeptic, tilted his head and asked, "How did you even get in here?"
Knowing the lack of manners among cultivators, he consistently locked his gate to avoid interruptions.
Although locking the gate didn't provide foolproof protection, if they did anything stupid, he'd have a compelling reason ready for resorting to physical violence.
Mu Lin's cheeks puffed up, and she grumbled, "You haven't seen me in days, and now I've decided to come see you, that's the first thing you ask? Honestly, I feel like you're taking my company a little too lightly."
Her gentle voice carried a more squeakier tone due to her annoyance.
Slowly, Yang Wei leaned on the door.
"Sorry?"
Naturally, he offered his apology more uncertainly than not. After all, he wasn't quite sure what warranted an apology.
Mu Lin kept her gaze on him, awaiting a more sincere response.
Stepping forward, she pressed.
"Aren't you gonna apologize?"
Her lips were slightly puckered, pressed together by her puffed, soft cheeks.
"Hm?" Yang Wei responded, feigning innocence.
Mu Lin, determined to make a point, stood on her toes, getting closer to his face. "So, aren't you going to apologize?" she demanded.
Yang Wei, still clueless, shrugged. "Apologize for what?" he asked.
Mu Lin sighed in exasperation, slouching back to her normal height.
Holding the basket just before her legs, she sighed, "You're so hopeless."
Mu Lin glanced back at Yang Wei.
"Your gate was already open so I decided to let myself in, are you happy now?"
She shared this information casually only to avoid being perceived as overly eager or intrusive; in other words – a Thirsty Theresa. Naturally, any man would likely form similar impressions if she had indeed entered their courtyard without permission.
"Hey, I must've forgotten to lock it after the sweeping," Yang Wei admitted with a chuckle. "Hold on, let me just lock it real quick."
He dashed over to the gate in a flash and, just as he reached out to latch it shut, he noticed it was already bolted.
"Hm? You did that?" he asked, a puzzled look on his face.
Mu Lin gave a little nod, her voice kind of wavering. "Yeah, I did..." She glanced away, a tiny blush sneaking onto her cheeks. "I hope it wasn't too weird," she mumbled, almost like her voice was trying to keep that last bit hush-hush, which, obviously, she didn't want him catching.
Yang Wei stared at the gate, then back at Mu Lin, looking utterly bemused, like a lost monkey in the zoo. Suddenly, he vanished again and reappeared right in front of Mu Lin.
"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, his face inches away from hers.
There was a brief moment where their noses were almost touching.
Mu Lin stepped back a little, turning her gaze to the side and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Y... Yes, of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
Yang Wei straightened up and looked off to the side, then tilted his head back to Mu Lin. "Well, normally, if you saw my gate open, you'd have just strolled right into the courtyard and then into the house, no permission needed for the daughter of Chief Mu, right?" he pointed out.
Mu Lin shot him a defiant look. "I wouldn't just barge in like that!" she insisted.
Her sudden increase in volume, considering she'd been keeping it low and gentle until then, hinted at her efforts to control her temper. It was like she was trying to tone down the usual air of pride that was usually in her voice.
Yang Wei grinned and playfully shook his finger at her. "That's more like it," he said with a chuckle.
Mu Lin's sudden outburst caught her off guard.
Shit! How could I lose composure like that...!
Swiftly regaining control, she relaxed her facial muscles which gave her a slightly more vulnerable expression as she glanced away.
With a smooth motion, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, offering an apologetic smile.
"Sorry for the outburst, I didn't mean to act that way. It's just what you said..."
"Huh? What did I say?" Yang Wei questioned.
He was confused not only by her reaction, but by her words.
Also, he was quite confident that he only said the truth, nothing more. But, he failed to recognize the potential offense in his words.
The truth...
History, more often than not, reminded us that the truth is bitter, especially to those who are averse to it.
She placed a hand on her chest, holding a lunch basket with the other.
A slow, sad sigh then rolled out of her mouth.
"I came here because you asked for food last time we met. And besides that, I simply wanted to thank you for agreeing to be my dual cultivation partner."
Lowering her head, she furrowed her eyebrows like a sad puppy.
Her next words then came out in a sort of mumbling form that wasn't only cute and any easy scene to coo at, but was enough to pull heartstrings effortlessly.
"But your words made me seem like a mannerless senior sister, unsuitable for dual cultivation."
Most notably, a cute Mu Lin rivaled a sexy, seductive Mu Lin.
Seeing her look so downcast; much like an abandoned puppy by the rainy roadside, Yang Wei's expression softened.
Mu Lin, still looking down, tried to hide a secretive smile. But more than a smile, it was more like a vicious grin.
Hah! My acting skills are top-notch! I'm sure he's eating that up already! In the end, aren't all men the same? Especially when they see a powerful women such as myself turning into a damsel in distress.
Yang Wei tried to backtrack. "I didn't mean for it to sound that way," he said, then quickly stopped himself. "You know what? No excuses. I was wrong, and I apologize."
Mu Lin smirked under her breath.
As I said, they're all the same...
Her smile persisted. But when she lifted her head, her smile was warm and heartfelt. "It's fine, Brother Wei," she said, then gestured toward his open doors. "Can I come in, then?"
Yang Wei nodded, "Yes, of course."
She smiled and elegantly walked in. "Thank you," she said sweetly.
With arms folded, Yang Wei observed her with a raised eyebrow. He then smiled and shook his head.
It was clearly an act; people don't just flip a switch like that. But hey, at least she's making an effort to tone down her pride to get what she wants now. It's better than resorting to using an aphrodisiac, for sure.
...
Chapter 36 Preview: "Dual Cultivation: A More Than Professional Business Transaction"