My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 75 - 60: It’s the Concubine (Please Follow)

The flood dragon’s corpse was washed to the shore by the current, its putrid aroma lingering in the night air.

The evil flood dragon’s vertical pupils were wide open, retaining the terror from before its death, reflecting the horrified face of the Granny Qing Mei.

Standing behind the granny were a man and a woman. The man’s facial features were sharp, while the woman wore a veil, her features obscured. Her hair was styled in twin buns without the need for pins, her figure as graceful as a Yanling Saber, which she happened to be wearing at her waist.

"He actually managed to slay the dragon..."

The man, who went by the pseudonym "Dong Gong Ai," stared in astonishment at the corpse on the ground,

"Li Shopkeeper’s insight... truly beyond imagination."

The Li Shopkeeper Dong Gong Ai referred to was none other than Li Jisheng, the wealthy silk merchant who established Baihua Building. Because of this, many people mistook Li Jisheng for the master of Wuyong Building, yet in reality, Li Jisheng was merely a figurehead pushed to the forefront by Wuyong Building.

Great Yu was located in the Spring and Autumn Ancient Chu Land, where its silk was renowned worldwide. The number of silk merchants was as vast as fish in the river. For Li Jisheng to carve out a bloody path, he must have some background.

But no one would have thought that Li Jisheng’s greatest background would be the Chen Family of Jin Country.

Wuyong Building was precisely the enterprise set up by the Chen Family of Jin Country in Great Yu.

The woman behind Dong Gong Ai gazed at the dragon’s corpse on the ground, eyes filled with envy.

Her path in martial arts had reached a bottleneck, unable to break through in three years. In such a situation, she could only rely on the external power of pills.

And that Bone Marrow Opening Pill needed only a Li Pearl as the medicinal guide.

"What a coincidence, he also has the surname Chen."

Dong Gong Ruoshu feigned indifference as she spoke.

"There are many with the surname Chen. Could it be that Younger Sister thinks he is our distant relative?"

Dong Gong Ai responded casually.

The woman did not answer, only slowly approaching the dragon’s corpse.

"If he could slay the dragon, could he be skilled in both Taoist and martial dual cultivation?"

The man speculated as he looked at the dragon.

Granny Qing Mei was astonished upon hearing this.

Chen Yi, once a mere corrupt official, suddenly revealed his martial skills, which was enough to surprise her. But his ability to slay a dragon astounded her even more.

With the exception of very few sects, not practicing both Taoist skill and martial arts was the norm in the world. Yet this thousand-household officer was not only a fifth-grade martial artist but also capable of slaying demons. Understanding just one aspect was already conceivable, yet he was both a martial artist and a demon slayer!

Both martial arts and Taoist skills were paths fraught with difficulties and dangers. He was not yet thirty, yet it seemed as though he had honed for centuries. Granny Qing Mei had never witnessed such terrifying talent.

Granny Qing Mei didn’t know how to describe such a gift, at a loss for words, she could only say:

"Young Master, this child is truly terrifying..."

Dong Gong Ai nodded slightly, speaking solemnly:

"In time, this Chen Qianhu might be the next ’A Fleeting Dust’ Wu Buxu. Granny, does he have any weaknesses?"

"...Lustful."

Dong Gong Ai nodded at this remark and said,

"In that case, send the Oiran from the Pure Heart Pavilion..."

"The Oiran might... not be enough."

"Oh? Has he such high standards?"

"No, no."

This sentence from Granny Qing Mei left Dong Gong Ai bewildered.

After a moment of hesitation, Granny Qing Mei explained,

"He seems to have a... fondness for Longyang. As far as I know, he has been persistently pursuing Min Ning, the younger sister of Miss Min who dresses as a man... but has little desire for Miss Min herself."

Dong Gong Ai was startled.

This might pass with some high-ranking officials and landlords who’ve seen much, but a rising young talent having such preferences?!

Truly... unconventional, no wonder he’s a natural genius.

"Then, find some male performers..."

The man, recovering his wits, suggested.

Granny Qing Mei was about to nod when Dong Gong Ruoshu suddenly spoke,

"What hasn’t he seen in this pleasure district of the Capital City of Great Yu? And yet, he entangles with a person disguised as the opposite sex. Is there not a doubt here?"

"...You’re right; ordinary male performers might not catch his eye. It’s truly a pity, a pity..."

Suddenly, Dong Gong Ai realized something and asked,

"Wait, are you saying..."

"If the information is correct, what he seeks is a look that is heroic yet retains a feminine charm. There are probably very few who can fit the bill, but..."

Dong Gong Ruoshu paused.

The man curiously looked at the eldest daughter of the main family.

"In that case, let’s cater to his preferences."

Dong Gong Ruoshu smiled charmingly, clapped her hands, and said:

"If Min Ning can disguise as a man, why can’t I?"

............

These days, Yin Tingxue suffered a lot of teasing. Yet, she remained obedient, keeping her temper in check, as she was a newly accepted concubine, the kind of person that would evoke pity. Chen Yi, getting up early, admired her sleeping face; compared to Zhou Yitang, her brows seemed too fragile, like fragile autumn straw.

Is it in a man’s nature to compare wife and concubine? Chen Yi wryly asked himself.

"Like flowers scattering in an instant."

After a moment, Chen Yi murmured these words.

It turned out that a young girl’s innocence was like fleeting flowers.

Chen Yi had imagined her fragility but never thought she would say such things.

Last night, he didn’t touch her, only left harsh words, telling her she would certainly need to consummate the marriage and leave. She begged earnestly before sleep, but he didn’t agree.

Yin Tingxue always harbored unrealistic fantasies.

But Chen Yi always had a premonition,

The fleeting flowers would inevitably scatter helplessly, and that day seemed to be drawing nearer.

Thinking of this, Chen Yi tucked her in and touched the girl’s face, even sneaking his hands into the quilt, taking quite a bit of advantage.

Before leaving, Chen Yi lovingly kissed her forehead.

Soon after he left, Yin Tingxue opened her eyes.

She had, in fact, been awake long ago, feeling drowsy at times, sensing Chen Yi’s intimacy, yet not resisting, only instinctively curling up tighter in the bedding.

After freshening up, Yin Tingxue touched her lips, then entered the study, seeing the travel documents, silver makeup knife, and maid’s deed... these were all deliberately left behind by him; she knew it all.

She didn’t dare touch any of them.

If she moved them a bit, he would throw her onto the bed without a care and take her.

She couldn’t escape; if she did, he’d surely catch her and do worse things to her—one night, he’d threatened to lock her forever in a little dark room, where it would only light up when he entered, and his entrance meant coupling. In such a case, tormented by the darkness daily, she’d long for coupling all day long. She couldn’t escape.

"So foolish."

Yin Tingxue muttered, clutching her fingers,

"Like a chick guarding its eggshell."

She felt truly foolish, neither daring to flee heedlessly nor wanting to couple like a concubine, yet foolishly thinking she could trick him into preserving her purity.

Days earlier, when he spoke of taking her back to the Yintai Temple, she was genuinely joyous, thinking he had truly changed. But only at night did she understand the care he showed in recent times was laden with overwhelming lust.

"Why does he have to do this..."

The young princess murmured her grievances, indescribably aggrieved.

Simply sleeping together, occasionally sharing a kiss, serving submissively; wasn’t that enough?

Did he have to do this? Why? Just because she was a concubine?

Thinking of this, she subconsciously glanced at those symbols of freedom, wanted to reach out, yet was stopped as if pricked.

She quickly checked around, momentarily thinking Chen Yi was watching from somewhere, instinctively pleading,

"I didn’t mean to come in, spare me this once..."

Once realizing it was a false alarm, she lost her interest and left the study.

Yin Tingxue regained her senses, returned to the bedroom, and curled into the bedding.

"Purity... keeping, keeping purity, what use is it? Waiting for two years, he’ll spare me then?... Impossible, he won’t wait two years, even if he did, he wouldn’t let go... Rather, "

The girl picked up her pitiful resolve, talking to herself:

"Might as well, if he wants, let him have it!"

She took a few breaths, then unintentionally smelled his scent lingering in the bedding, suddenly startled.

They had been sleeping together all along; the bedding carrying his scent wasn’t unusual; she only now realized she no longer resisted it.

Reflecting back, how many times had she kissed him, how many times had he held her? Even if she was shy and resentful, she no longer rejected it. Even though she didn’t like him, even hated him, yet they had already formed some awkward relationship!

What kind of relationship is this? What is it?

Curled in the bedding, Yin Tingxue entered a daze.

She was filled with tears, ready to fall at any moment,

"Purity... if given to him, he would... be kinder to me?"

She self-comforted, muttering:

"He would, he’d said he would take me back to Yintai Temple."

In the empty room, no one answered her, only lifeless silence, like the Yintai Temple at that time, the autumn wind spreading a scent of desolation.

Inexplicably, she realized what that relationship was.

Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by sorrow, madly shouting:

"I am a concubine! Mother, Tingxue is a concubine!"

She began to cry,

In her most helpless times, she thought of her mother, but her mother had long been gone.