The Lingering Mark and a Master’s Inquiry

The candlelight flickered.

White Snow Jade lay on her bed, teetering on the edge of collapse.

She wondered if that scoundrel was secretly at work, for ever since nightfall, the character ‘Xia’ between her thighs had begun to subtly itch.

The unfortunate placement of the mark left her in an utterly mortifying predicament.

Perhaps it wasn’t merely an itch; after all, that despicable man had claimed he could manipulate her “senses.”

Her body felt uncomfortably warm.

Unconsciously, her thighs began to rub together.

It was as if she had been… had been drugged with some potent aphrodisiac.

While not entirely unbearable, sleep had become an impossibility.

White Snow Jade had no idea how to quell this sensation; the next time she encountered Xia Niansheng, she resolved to demand a solution from him.

‘Damn it, why am I even hoping for his help?’

This was her first day back in the sect, and that scoundrel Xia Niansheng, having coerced her into a s*ave contract, surely harbored ambitions far beyond mere carnal desires.

Though she generally believed men to be creatures driven solely by their lower half.

Yet, a distinct ambition undeniably simmered in Xia Niansheng’s eyes whenever he looked at her.

She couldn’t pinpoint its exact nature, but she was certain that upon their return to the sect, he would leverage this to compel her into countless tasks.

Until she possessed the absolute power to nullify this contract, her only recourse was to endure in silence.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

Just as White Snow Jade prepared to sit up and circulate her qi to suppress the strange feeling.

A knock resounded at her chamber door.

As Qiu Yan’s direct disciple, her room was separated from her master’s by only a single wall.

At this late hour, only Qiu Yan would dare to knock.

In that instant, White Snow Jade bit down hard on her lip, desperately trying to stifle any sound that might escape her throat.

“Master?”

She queried softly, her voice a mere whisper of an inquiry.

“Yao’er, are you not asleep yet?”

“I… I was just about to fall asleep.”

“Then your Master shall enter.”

Hearing this, White Snow Jade knew refusal was impossible; she could only clench her fingers, digging them fiercely into her arm.

The door creaked open.

Beyond the violet mosquito netting, Qiu Yan’s figure appeared.

This was the person she most respected, adored, and cherished.

Unbeknownst to Qiu Yan, White Snow Jade was currently afflicted by a mark left by another man…

‘She was truly failing her Master.’

The moment Qiu Yan’s shadow fell upon her, an overwhelming torrent of immorality, shame, and guilt washed over her, threatening to consume her entirely.

“Master?”

White Snow Jade asked, her voice strained, gritting her teeth in an attempt to sound normal.

Her current state was precarious, prompting her to speak as little as possible to avoid exposure.

Qiu Yan settled onto a small stool beside the bed, gazing at White Snow Jade through the translucent netting.

“Yao’er, why are you still awake at such a late hour?”

Qiu Yan’s tone was gentle, and the softer it grew, the more profound White Snow Jade’s guilt became, while Xia Niansheng’s voice, inexplicably, echoed persistently in her mind.

“…I was just preparing to sleep.”

“Your Master has brought some sandalwood incense to aid your sleep. Rest well these next few days; during the Sect Grand Competition, I will announce that you are in secluded cultivation.” Qiu Yan produced a stick of sandalwood, lit it with a practiced flick, and placed it by the window.

“…Thank you, Master.”

White Snow Jade felt the burning sensation between her thighs subtly ease, though she knew she would need to change her undergarments once Qiu Yan departed.

At that moment, Qiu Yan returned to her seat by the bed.

White Snow Jade instantly held her breath, desperate to prevent her erratic breathing from being detected.

It seemed Qiu Yan still had something to impart.

The next moment, Qiu Yan spoke:

“What do you think… of Xia Niansheng?”

The instant those three words reached her ears, White Snow Jade’s eyes widened, nearly betraying her with an involuntary gasp.

Fortunately, the dim light concealed her facial changes from Qiu Yan’s scrutiny.

Yet, what was more alarming was that the mark on her thigh, upon hearing those three words, seemed to awaken with a life of its own…

The peculiar sensation within her body intensified even further.

White Snow Jade couldn’t discern if Qiu Yan had uncovered something and was testing her, or if she was simply curious about that scoundrel.

She absolutely could not reveal anything now.

“Xia Niansheng… this is my first interaction with him. I had always heard he was such a warm-hearted person… and he even gave me a Rejuvenation Pill this time. He truly is a good person.”

White Snow Jade’s arm was nearly bruised raw from her frantic pinching, yet she meticulously forced her voice to remain steady.

Fortunately, her efforts paid off, revealing nothing amiss.

Qiu Yan nodded.

Perhaps due to the precedent set by Senior Aunt Xue, she harbored a possessive desire for control over her disciple.

Everything White Snow Jade did, every person she interacted with, fell under Qiu Yan’s watchful eye.

Indeed, this was White Snow Jade’s first encounter with Xia Niansheng, and her evaluation of him was precisely as expected.

‘A good person…’

‘However, according to Xia Niansheng’s own words, everything he did was merely a pretense to catch her attention?’

Qiu Yan continued, “Hmm… his strength is quite decent, wouldn’t you say?”

White Snow Jade, feeling as though her anomaly could be discovered at any moment, instinctively assented.

“Yes… is something wrong?”

“Yao’er, do you believe he is a suitable candidate for the Holy Son?”

White Snow Jade nearly shrieked aloud, but in the critical moment, her fingers once again dug fiercely into her flesh.

‘What kind of joke is this?!’

‘Xia Niansheng as Holy Son?!’

‘Wouldn’t his status within the sect then be equal to mine?!’

‘How could that scoundrel possibly possess such capability?’

‘How could he possibly capture my Master’s attention?!’

‘Is he worthy? By what right?!’

It took White Snow Jade a long moment to compose herself. Just as she was about to speak, Qiu Yan interjected, “I merely find this person… quite useful. This is only a notion, a possibility. Should it truly come to pass, remember, you are still your Master’s only disciple.”

These words served as a calming balm for White Snow Jade, reassuring her that Qiu Yan’s unwavering favoritism would always be hers.

‘Xia Niansheng would always be nothing more than a pawn.’

Qiu Yan then continued:

“What do you truly think of Xia Niansheng?”

In posing this question, Qiu Yan harbored her own intentions.

To suggest Xia Niansheng offered the Rejuvenation Pill to White Snow Jade solely for Qiu Yan’s sake felt rather far-fetched to her.

‘To become the Holy Son? The inescapable topic is the Holy Maiden, White Snow Jade.’

Thus… this was a test for White Snow Jade.

Even though she trusted White Snow Jade deep down, Qiu Yan’s inherently suspicious nature remained unaltered.

‘A test of everything.’

‘Doubt for everything.’

Every situation had to be under her absolute control, unfolding precisely according to her predetermined scenario before she would be satisfied.

White Snow Jade, at that moment, was incapable of such intricate thought.

“Xia Niansheng… no matter what, he simply isn’t qualified, is he…?”

After all, in terms of strength, he was undeniably inferior to her, not having even reached the Golden Core stage!

Unbeknownst to White Snow Jade, this reaction was precisely what Qiu Yan desired, and a faint smile touched her lips.

“What if he proves very useful to your Master?”

“But… he is a man…”

Ordinarily, White Snow Jade would not voice such strong objections to Qiu Yan’s decisions.

Now, half of her concern stemmed from the worry that if that scoundrel became the Holy Son, his status would be almost on par with her own.

The comforting internal narrative that ‘he was actually far beneath her’ would utterly dissipate.

The other half was a pang of jealousy.

‘Why would Master take an interest in a man?’

White Snow Jade’s tone of rebuttal was the exact outcome Qiu Yan had hoped for.

While she didn’t rule out the possibility that it was all an act, at this moment, Qiu Yan leaned towards trusting her own intuition.

“This is merely a thought of your Master’s; nothing has been decided.”

Having said this, Qiu Yan rose to her feet.

“I shall not disturb you further. Rest early.”

‘No…’

Just as White Snow Jade was about to articulate more, she felt the character ‘Xia’ between her thighs begin to faintly glow.

Immediately, a pervasive tingling sensation coursed through her entire body; merely suppressing a whimper consumed every last ounce of her strength.

Qiu Yan had already exited the bedroom.

****

Meanwhile, in Xia Niansheng’s small hut on Blood Sword Mountain.

His breakthrough to the Golden Core stage had encountered no bottlenecks, proceeding smoothly all the way.

He now lay on his bed, extending a hand with distinct, bony knuckles, the tip of his index finger glowing.

‘Who knew this s*ave contract could be so entertaining?’

‘Remote control, huh?’