Chapter 42: The Fiancé

Compared to the heavy-set Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen’s body was indeed much lighter.

Where Ye Xixuan’s body made contact with Ling Luochen’s, he could clearly feel the cool, delicate texture of her fair, smooth skin—like the finest cold jade hidden deep within an iceberg.

In the distance, the setting sun was about to dip below the western horizon. The complex mountain terrain seemed draped in a dreamlike glow on its sunlit side, while the shaded side remained pitch black. Light and shadow met here, distinct and clearly divided.

After the group had flown for nearly two hours, the endless mountain range finally came to an end. Connecting the edge of the mountains was a dense forest. This region was rarely visited by humans, and the forest remained in its most natural, pristine state.

Following Ma Xiaotao’s instructions, the group landed at the boundary between the mountains and the forest. The terrain here was relatively high, offering a broad field of vision.

Although they had not yet officially clashed with the "Hand of Death" bandit group, maintaining proper vigilance while out on a mission was a basic quality expected of every inner court disciple.

Ma Xiaotao turned to the group and said, "Let’s rest here tonight and continue our journey tomorrow morning."

"Xixuan, come here for a moment." As she spoke, Ma Xiaotao’s gaze fell upon Ye Xixuan.

A strange look couldn't help but cross the faces of the group. Before Ye Xixuan could say anything, Ling Luochen grabbed his wrist, her delicate brows slightly furrowed as she looked at Ma Xiaotao, a hint of confrontation simmering between them.

Meeting Ling Luochen’s gaze, the smile on the corners of Ma Xiaotao’s lips deepened.

"You’ve already had your turn, so it’s time to lend him to me. Surely you don’t intend to monopolize him the moment you first met Xixuan, do you? What exactly do you think your relationship with him is?"

The group was left stunned by these words.

They knew Ma Xiaotao had a fierce personality, but speaking so bluntly was truly shocking. What surprised them even more was that Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen seemed to be acting like rivals in love.

Seeing that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, Ye Xixuan immediately stepped in to ease the tension, saying to Ling Luochen beside him, "Senior Sister Ling, Senior Sister Xiaotao wants to see me about cultivation matters. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done."

After locking eyes with Ye Xixuan for a long moment, Ling Luochen finally let go.

Once Ye Xixuan followed Ma Xiaotao into the woods, Gongyang Mo could no longer suppress his burning curiosity and asked the question on everyone’s mind.

"Little Sister Luochen, what exactly is the relationship between you and Xixuan?"

"He is my fiancé, though he is unaware of it himself." Although she appeared cold, Ling Luochen was a straightforward person. Her short, direct answer left everyone present stunned, as if struck by lightning.

"What?! A fiancé?!"

Ling Luochen ignored the others and sat down cross-legged to meditate and recover her soul power.

***

"Uh..." Even Dai Yueheng, who usually wasn't interested in such matters, felt the atmosphere was awkward and reached out to pat Chen Zifeng on the shoulder.

"Zifeng, let’s go catch some game to improve our meal tonight."

"Sure, let’s head to the mountains." Chen Zifeng quickly agreed, deliberately choosing a direction opposite to where Ye Xixuan and Ma Xiaotao had gone.

After those two found an excuse to slip away, aside from Ling Luochen, who had entered a state of meditation, only Gongyang Mo and the aggrieved Yao Haoxuan remained.

Yao Haoxuan’s heart had suffered blow after blow, and this final revelation caused him to lose his last shred of hope; he slumped onto the ground.

He couldn't understand why, during a perfectly normal mission as inspectors, Ling Luochen had suddenly acquired a fiancé out of thin air.

Gongyang Mo, on the other hand, quite enjoyed this feeling. Slowly probing the thoughts and relationships of others gave him a special sense of achievement.

"It seems things are gradually becoming interesting."

Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Ye Xixuan and Ma Xiaotao arrived at their destination.

Only a few people at Shrek Academy knew that Ye Xixuan’s martial soul could help Ma Xiaotao suppress her evil fire, as it was a secret tied to his own martial soul.

Therefore, when Ma Xiaotao told him to follow her, Ye Xixuan already understood—it was time to absorb more evil fire.

"Senior Sister Xiaotao, is the evil fire in your body growing so slowly now? I’ve been waiting for a long time."

"You brat, do you even know how to talk?" Ma Xiaotao’s almond eyes widened, and she playfully pinched Ye Xixuan’s ear—perhaps out of a desire for revenge due to his closeness to Ling Luochen earlier.

"It felt great holding Ling Luochen earlier, didn't it? I don't know what got into her, but why is she treating you so differently? Could it be she wants to 'rob the cradle' too?"

"Why 'too'?" Ye Xixuan keenly caught the keyword.

Ma Xiaotao’s pretty face flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but recall the scene at the bottom of Sea God Lake two years ago. When Ye Xixuan had fallen unconscious back then, she had actually cursed herself in her heart in much the same way.

"Enough nonsense! Hurry up and help me suppress the evil fire."

"Oh." Ye Xixuan nodded obediently, and Ma Xiaotao pulled up her clothing, revealing her smooth, flat abdomen.

Despite her impressively curvaceous figure, her waist was exceptionally slender, and there wasn't an ounce of fat on her stomach; one could sense the terrifying explosive power contained within those muscle contours.

Ye Xixuan placed his right hand against Ma Xiaotao’s abdomen. Eerie black demonic patterns immediately spread across her skin, eventually leaving a delicate, tattoo-like mark.

Using this as a medium, the evil fire from the origin of Ma Xiaotao’s martial soul was instantly separated from her soul power and poured continuously into Ye Xixuan’s body.

***

Ma Xiaotao sighed with relief and subconsciously looked down at Ye Xixuan. For some reason, she suddenly had the urge to reach out and press his head down.

"Ahhhhh! Ma Xiaotao, what on earth are you thinking?!"

Neither Ye Xixuan nor Ma Xiaotao seemed to realize another effect of the Heart Demon seal at that moment.

By the time the two returned to the campsite, it was completely dark.

Dai Yueheng and the others had built a campfire in a clearing, roasting the game they had hunted.

There were pheasants, rabbits, roasted fish, and even a plump roe deer, sizzling with fat over the charcoal fire. Such authentic wild game didn't need many seasonings; simple salt was enough to bring out their natural flavor.

Seeing Ye Xixuan and Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng enthusiastically handed them two charred, crispy roasted fish.

"Xixuan, Xiaotao, you’re back just in time."

"Mhm, not bad." Ma Xiaotao took a roasted fish and took a bite, trying to hide the guilt she felt from the thoughts she had just had.

As Ye Xixuan took the roasted fish from Dai Yueheng with his left hand, Ling Luochen handed him a roasted rabbit leg. He had to take it with his right hand, smiling as he said, "Thank you, Senior Sister Ling."

"There is no need to thank me." Ling Luochen said, expressionless, leaving him baffled once again.

Having just released the evil fire and entered a state of calm, Ma Xiaotao couldn't be bothered to continue sparring with Ling Luochen, so she sat down and began to feast.

After the meal, the group’s bond had clearly grown much closer. It wasn't the food that mattered, but the vibrant, youthful atmosphere among these young people.

Only Yao Haoxuan sat in the corner, eating his food as if it were tasteless wax.

After a night of rest, the group set off again. On the evening of the second day, they finally arrived at their destination: the Mingdou Mountain Range.