Ding-ling~
Ding-ling~
The bell sounded as crisp as ice. It came from the string of silver bells wrapped around her snow-white ankle.
The rain pattered outside. Since autumn began, the sound of water was a constant companion, and the ring of her silver bells was a rare treat.
Ling Feng opened his eyes and looked up. The visitor was stepping into the room. Their eyes met, and he quickly lowered his gaze.
'I had a dream. In that dream, we were enemies, and she killed me with her sword.'
When he heard the pleasant silver bells, he remembered that it was not just a dream. He really was her enemy. The only difference was that she could never bring herself to swing the blade. She simply lacked the heart to destroy him.
His gaze drifted for a moment and he did not know where to look, so his eyes landed on her again.
She looked beautiful today.
A black robe wrapped around her curvy body. The neckline was cut very low and revealed her elegant collarbones. The sight of her pale skin and deep cleavage was enough to make anyone's head spin. Her breasts pushed high against the fabric of the robe and created a magnificent curve. Golden threads were embroidered into the silk in the shape of flame patterns, and they shimmered in the dim room.
Her black hair almost reached the floor. She had not styled it at all, but every strand looked clean and smooth as it hung loosely.
The night wind blew and carried raindrops inside. When the water got close to her, it suddenly evaporated and vanished. The rain stopped at her feet, but the wind continued to blow and ruffled her skirt. Her legs were visible through the swaying fabric, and they looked perfect.
They stayed silent for about fifteen minutes. She eventually closed the door and walked toward him with graceful steps. She brushed her finger against the candle on the table and lit a small flame. The light was weak, but it brightened the dark room.
Ling Feng had slept all day and only woke up when she arrived. He had not bothered to light a candle to chase away the night. He remembered how long he had slept. If it were not raining, it would be sunset right now.
The sky was a bit dark today. He felt a little disappointed that he could not see the sunset of the Canghua Sect. The rain was quite heartless. After all, the sunset here was always like a beautiful poem. Watching the sun go down was his favorite hobby during his stay at the sect.
The flickering candlelight illuminated her face. She had a seductive and beautiful face. She just stood there, but she radiated a natural nobility. It was not an act. She looked like a phoenix looking down on the world with pride and coldness. Her aura was ethereal and her beauty was stunning. She did not look like she belonged in the human world. She looked like a Goddess from the celestial palaces.
"You came to see me. Does that mean you have decided?" Ling Feng asked softly.
She remained silent and sat down next to him. Her eyelids lowered as if she were lost in a sea of thoughts.
"Don't wait too long. This body of mine won't last. I will probably fade away before winter. You need to make a plan soon. Either kill me or do something else..."
"Perform [Pulse Tuning] on me." Her tone was indifferent and lacked any emotion.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Tuning your pulses will force you to carry a massive amount of Karma. My existence has already shaken your Dao heart. If you take on more Karma related to me, you will never reach Level 9. You will be stuck at Level 8 forever."
"I don't care." Her voice was still cold, but he heard a slight tremble on the very last word.
"Okay," Ling Feng agreed quietly.
He tore a strip of cloth from his clothes and folded it into a thick band to cover his eyes. Then he moved further onto the bed to make enough space.
She stared at him for a second but said nothing. She stood up and slowly removed her clothes.
As the robe hit the floor, her beautiful body was exposed to the air. A light pink blush crawled across her porcelain skin. She used one arm to cover her breasts and the other to hide her private area. She bit her lip and her face turned red with shame. She looked at him again.
He just sat there with his head lowered. He waited quietly. Ling Feng had folded the cloth many times so it was thick. He could not see a thing.
She watched him for a long time. She finally suppressed her shyness, though her face was still flushed a deep red. She lifted her leg and stepped onto the soft bed. She looked at him one more time before her next move. He was as still as a wooden post. His hands stayed on his knees and he did not move at all.
She felt a strange sense of frustration. She almost wanted to step on his face with her foot. But she controlled her emotions and took a deep breath to calm down. She sat cross-legged across from him.
If he had not covered his eyes, she would never have been able to move her hands away from her chest. Sitting cross-legged left her completely exposed. She waited for a moment. She thought to herself that if he dared to rush her, she would definitely kick him.
But he was very quiet. His breathing was steady. This was a clear sign that his mind was not racing. He probably wasn't thinking anything perverted. Or maybe... he had seen so much that he didn't care. She was likely the only one overthinking things.
Thinking of this, she finally moved her hands and placed them on her knees. Her face grew even redder and she bit her lip so hard it almost bled.
"Mmh." (You can start). Her voice trembled from the extreme shame.
"Okay..." He paused and then spoke again. "I am warning you one last time. If you don't kill me to resolve your inner demons, it will already be hard to stay at Level 8. If we link our Karma through [Pulse Tuning], you will never reach Level 9."
"Once you reach Level 8, I will kill you myself to end the Karma."
"Then you might have to wait a very long time."
"I don't care." She repeated those three words again.
"I understand." He stopped trying to convince her and began to form hand seals.
[Pulse Tuning] was exactly what it sounded like. It was the adjustment of pulses. However, this did not refer to the veins in a human body. It referred to the paths that spirit power traveled. The world produced spirit pulses that followed natural paths. Some were thick, some were thin, and some were blocked.
The human body was like a vast and mysterious dungeon. It had its own unique spirit pulses. Because everyone had different types of spirit power, these pulses were different for every person.
[Pulse Tuning] used the power of heaven and earth to fix these paths. It turned thin pulses into thick ones and cleared any blockages. When the spirit pulses were clear, cultivation speed would double. A person's talent depended on their spirit pulses. This skill could turn a loser into a genius.
He was the only person who knew this skill because he was the one who invented it.
But there was a catch. Changing spirit pulses was like changing the ley lines of the world. It always created Karma. This was an act that went against the natural order, and that Karma would be linked to him forever.
He finished the hand seals. Strange glowing runes appeared on his palms. He tapped her forehead with his finger and injected the runes into her.
Soon, strange patterns that looked like flames appeared on her porcelain skin. They looked like burn marks or mottled fire scars. They appeared on her neck, her collarbones, her waist, and her arms. They even covered her large, full breasts.
Her path was the Path of Extreme Yang. Fire was the best way to represent her power.
Ling Feng's fingertips traced the fire scars on her body. His fingers were like a pen leaving behind glowing lines of energy. She bit her lip. If she had not seen him do this before, she would have thought he was just trying to grope her.
But this was only the beginning of the setup.
"It will hurt a little. Endure it," he warned.
"Continue," she replied.
Then came the pulse stripping. The lines he drew were the original paths of her spirit pulses. To reshape them, he had to strip the old ones away and reweave them. It was an incredibly painful process. It felt like someone was pulling his veins out of his body. His spirit power began to crash around inside her. It wouldn't kill her, but the pain was worse than death.
She tried her best to hold it in, but she still let out cries of pain that mixed with the sound of the rain. Sweat rolled down her forehead and her face was twisted in agony.
This lasted for an hour. The rain got heavier, but there was no thunder. Half an hour later, the rain stopped. Black clouds gathered overhead and red lightning began to flash. This was [Heavenly Punishment]. The world was trying to destroy them for breaking the rules.
Suddenly, a flash of sword light shot into the sky. It carried thousands of sword shadows and smashed into the clouds. The light and lightning fought each other until the sword light finally destroyed the clouds. The [Heavenly Punishment] vanished.
The rain started falling again. She dropped her long sword on the floor. She had sliced the roof off the building with her attack, so the rain was falling directly on them now.
Ling Feng felt the cold water and sighed. He didn't blame her. This was her courtyard anyway. Once this was over, he wouldn't be living here anymore.
"Continue." She glared at him.
He nodded. New runes gathered in his palms. He placed his hands on her skin, which felt as smooth as silk. The rain was cold, but her skin was as hot as fire.
He touched her neck, her shoulders, her arms, her breasts, her waist, her hips, and her legs. Everywhere his hands touched, a glowing rune was left behind. This was the final step: [Pulse Reshaping].
His hands continued to move over every inch of her body. She felt like a doll in his hands. He flipped her over and moved her legs as he pleased until he had touched every part of her skin.
"What is the point of the blindfold?" She sounded like she was grinding her teeth.
He stayed silent. He didn't think he was getting much of a "win" here. He had to carry the Karma from this skill. A little bit of touching wasn't enough to compensate for that. However, it was rare to see her lose her cool. He wished he could see her angry expression, but his eyes were covered. This woman was usually as cold as ice.
He wanted to tease her. He wanted to ask if the "Ice Queen" finally learned how to be shy. But he knew that if he said that, she would probably draw her sword and kill him on the spot. He didn't want to die in such a pathetic way, so he kept his mouth shut.
The woman who was always cold felt very warm right now.
The [Pulse Reshaping] continued in silence. She had to endure his hands moving all over her body. But as the new pulses formed, a strange feeling of pleasure began to spread through her.
***
The [Pulse Tuning] finished an hour later.
Ling Feng lowered his hands and took a deep breath. He waited for her to put her clothes back on before he took off the blindfold. He didn't use his eyes to see the pulses anyway. He used his [Divine Sense]. To his [Divine Sense], he only saw the flow of energy, not her body.
"After the pulses are reshaped, you need to go into seclusion. It would be best if you could try to Level Up. Even a small increase will help stabilize the pulses. I will give you a pill recipe that helps too."
She stayed silent. The rain fell on both of them. She stared at him and her mind felt messy. Her new pulses were working, and a burning heat was taking over her body.
"You should go," he said softly. He was finished, so it was time for her to leave.
"What about you?"
"This is my last night. I want some peace. After this, I will use [Body Dissolution]. I will leave behind my source blood. My soul will take my memories and my Level and hide inside the world's spirit pulses. I will use the source blood to grow a new body that can handle my power. The process might take a few years, or maybe centuries. Or I might just die."
He had died once before. His original body had shattered. His current body was just something she had created with a spell. It looked like him, but it couldn't hold his soul or his power. It was going to fall apart eventually.
"If you want to live, I have a way."
"By destroying my cultivation, right?"
She didn't say anything, but her eyes gave her away.
"You know I would rather die than choose that path, Sister..." He smiled helplessly. When he saw her face, he stopped talking.
She was incredibly beautiful. The rain on her face looked like tears. Her eyes looked dim and sad.
"I don't regret anything I did. I just regret becoming your enemy... I'm sorry... Sister..."
Her heart felt tight as if someone were squeezing it. The pain and the heat from her new pulses made her feel like she wanted to rip her chest open.
"Actually... there is something I want to do," he said to change the mood.
"What?"
"If we meet again, don't try to kill me right away. I want to take some photos of you."
"I don't understand."
Ling Feng rubbed his head. This world didn't have cameras or the concept of photography. He had mastered the art of crafting spirit items, but he had been too busy to invent a camera.
"Think of it this way. I want to paint some pictures of you."
"Why?" she asked.
"Besides my goals, I want to see all the beautiful things in the world. You are so beautiful, so of course I want to see you." He spoke seriously and his eyes were soft.
Before they became enemies, they were very close. It was always like this. He would talk and she would listen.
"So, even if this body could live, I wouldn't be able to do much. I promised many people, including you, that I would live well and enjoy life. I can't do that like this. I have to gamble and try to get a better body. I have to fix my regrets."
He wasn't sure if he could actually make a body that could hold all his power. Usually, it would be easy for someone at his Level, but he had too much Karma. Some people didn't want him to stay alive. And even if he succeeded, he didn't know where the spirit pulses would dump him. If he got lucky and landed right in front of her, he would be in trouble.
He looked at her. She was still silent.
"Can't you talk to me? I'm the only one talking."
"I'm supposed to kill you. How can you talk so much? Don't you hate me?"
"I don't blame you. We just have different paths and different sides. Our swords pointed at each other, but we don't hate each other. At least... that's what I think. Or do you really hate me, Sister?" He looked at her with a pouting, wronged expression.
His eyes looked so sad that it seemed like he might cry. Her eyes widened. She almost said something but then turned her head away.
"I don't hate you! I don't dislike you either! Is that enough? Are you happy now?"
"Yeah..." He was satisfied with that.
"The painting thing... does that mean if you win your gamble, you still want to see me?"
"We will meet eventually. But I'll hide from you for a while. I have things to do. I can't just win the gamble and then run to you to die."
They both went silent. They knew they couldn't actually kill each other. But their roles forced them apart. The best result was to not meet at all.
"Sister... I'm tired."
Ling Feng was about to ask her to leave again, but her soft hands grabbed his face. Her eyes looked determined and strange.
"Sister Qingxian?" He hadn't called her that in a long time. It reminded him of when he used to follow her around like a little sidekick.
"I asked you to perform [Pulse Tuning]. It has nothing to do with whether I kill you or not. I owe you for this. But I don't like owing people. So, I will pay you back. I will only ever have one man in my life, or none at all. I will use myself as payment. You are the first, and you will be the last!"
"What are you talking about..."
"I said it, and you can't refuse! No one can stop me!" She leaned in and kissed him.
One second... ten seconds... thirty seconds... maybe longer. Ling Feng tried to struggle, but he was no match for her. She pinned him down completely. When her lips finally left his, he saw her red face. His mind was a mess and he couldn't speak.
"You always tease me for being a block of ice. You said I never blush or smile. Now you've seen it. Are you happy?" She sounded angry, but she was clearly trying to hide her shyness.
She pushed him down onto the bed and sat on his waist. She tapped his chest with her finger. A ripple of spirit power tore their clothes to shreds instantly.
"I..."
"Don't say another word!" She was trembling and looked nervous, but she lowered her body anyway.
The rain fell. He couldn't tell if the liquid on her face was rain or tears. But the pain on her face was real.
"In the future... don't learn things from those romance books. It shouldn't be like this..."
***
The sun began to rise. The rain had stopped an hour ago.
She was exhausted and lay on his chest. They stayed silent for fifteen minutes. Then she sat up and got off the bed. She looked at him. After a night of intimacy, she looked tired, but her face was still flushed.
"I'll wait for you to come back. I'll wait until you reach Level 8. Then... I will give you a peaceful world."
She took a new robe out of her storage bracelet and put it on. Then she walked away. Ling Feng didn't look. He just heard the sound of her silver bells getting further away.
He sighed. His legs felt weak. He wondered if he had enough strength left to perform [Body Dissolution]. He worried that if she had drained all his energy, he wouldn't be able to kill his current body properly. If he failed to destroy it in one hit, it would be very painful.
'I should have asked her for help...'
He laughed at the thought. He sat up. Without any hesitation, he activated the skill he had prepared to destroy himself.
The sword light lasted for a long time.
She hadn't walked very far. She stopped at a spot where she couldn't see the small house anymore. She kept her back to the light and didn't look back. When the light finally vanished, her legs gave out and she knelt on the ground.
"You are the Sect Leader of the Canghua Sect. You can't do this..." she whispered to herself. But she couldn't stand up.
Was it because the pain from the night before was too much? She didn't know. She just knew that everything hurt.
Year after year passed by.
A young boy in ragged clothes looked at a small mountain village one last time. Then he turned around and walked away.