The Caged Bird of Obsession

Mo Tingbei was no moral crusader, spouting platitudes of righteousness and virtue.

In the current era, laws were conspicuously absent; even the Immortal Alliance lacked a comprehensive system of legal statutes and guidelines.

The enforcers of the Immortal Alliance’s Law Enforcement Hall, rather than resembling the police of his previous life, were more akin to triad enforcers (TL Note: ‘Shuang Hua Hong Gun’ refers to a high-ranking triad member, often responsible for enforcing rules through violence), maintaining authority through brute force.

It was only because most of the sect disciples participating in rotational duties were young and naive, still possessing a spark of unextinguished passion, that the Law Enforcement Hall managed to retain a shred of its good reputation.

However, the cultivators who climbed the ranks within the Immortal Alliance’s headquarters were a mixed bag indeed.

After all, how many hearts truly burned with fervor when their ambition was focused on maneuvering within an organization like the Law Enforcement Hall?

Consequently, even though his previous life’s experiences made him seem somewhat naive in today’s cutthroat cultivation world, he cared little for the Immortal Alliance’s so-called laws.

His focus had always been on his own moral judgment.

Furthermore, the Tri-Unity Sword Sect enjoyed the lingering protection of its ancestors, and its relationship with the Immortal Alliance had always been somewhat ambiguous.

Even if they were to truly fall out, the sect possessed means of self-preservation, even without a Grand Monarch at its helm; at worst, they could simply retreat to a minor world and hide.

His reluctance for Jiang Jinyue to take a life stemmed from his belief that their crimes did not warrant death, yet the punishment he envisioned was far from light.

Taking the Immortal Alliance members from earlier as an example.

Their demeanor towards the Tri-Unity Sword Sect disciples alone revealed them to be nothing more than sycophants, eager to curry favor with the powerful while disparaging the weak.

As the saying went, ‘birds of a feather flock together’; if their cultivation were to be crippled, it was likely that even without the gratifying spectacle of vengeful enemies, their former friends and kin would commit deeds too unspeakable to mention.

Thus, their fate might not be significantly better than being instantly slain, and Jiang Jinyue had merely inflicted a punishment that could hardly be deemed excessive.

Even if the Golden Core Grand Monarchs backing them wished to cause trouble, they would find no proper justification.

After all, offending a Grand Monarch’s procession was a grave offense within the Immortal Alliance.

Even without crippling their cultivation, numerous penalties no less severe awaited them.

Now, Jiang Jinyue had merely restrained these individuals with divine abilities as evidence, rather than killing them outright, a method of handling that no one could fault.

Moreover, Jiang Jinyue had now attained the Great Dao, positioning her as one who pointed out the faults of others.

‘This should provide a prime opportunity to extort the Immortal Alliance.’

Mo Tingbei habitually began to ponder the chain of events behind the incident, his sword-like brows furrowing involuntarily.

Jiang Jinyue, noticing this, drifted gracefully towards him, gently smoothing away the furrow between his brows, her actions as natural as if they had been lovers for years.

Jiang Jinyue appeared beside Mo Tingbei with astonishing speed, yet he seemed to have anticipated her, his hand already raised as if to ward off such excessive intimacy.

However, his movement was a beat too slow, and his hand closed precisely around hers just as she was about to withdraw it.

Their fingers intertwined in mid-air.

Jiang Jinyue recoiled as if struck by lightning, her hand springing away, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she shyly lowered her gaze.

That gentle downward glance was akin to the delicate shyness of a water lily wilting beneath a cool breeze.

‘Mo Tingbei’s spiritual senses, however, were screaming warnings at this very moment!’

‘This was no maidenly shyness; his Junior Sister (TL Note: referring to Jiang Jinyue) was likely following in the footsteps of Xiaoxiao and the others!’

‘My life is forfeit!’

Though Mo Tingbei appeared calm on the surface, his heart was silently lamenting.

‘When entangled by Jinghuang and Xiaoxiao, Jinyue would come to my rescue, but if Jinyue herself entwines me, who then can save me?’

Unseen by him, Jiang Jinyue’s eyes were practically overflowing with adoration.

Two distinct voices echoed within her heart.

One voice shrieked with raw desire, “Embrace him! Kiss him! Right here! He’s mine! I can’t wait another second!”; while the other, rational voice stated the reality, “Fool! His meridians are withered, his Dantian (TL Note: The energy center in the body) on the verge of shattering! Your ‘love’ will kill him!”

‘No, I must at least wait until we return to the sect… Senior Brother’s injuries are too severe. Patience, patience…’

Lin Xiaoxiao watched Jiang Jinyue and Mo Tingbei’s intimate display with burning humiliation, her face flushed crimson with anger.

Her pretty face, still bearing a hint of childish innocence, puffed out like a steamed bun.

Time flowed silently onward amidst this unspoken tension.

Soon, the mountain gate of the Tri-Unity Sword Sect became faintly discernible.

The three had long since silently returned to their respective places, their individual thoughts, of course, unknown to one another.

****

At that very moment, Jiang Jinyue lightly tapped a finger towards Lin Xiaoxiao, undoing the enforced ‘silent meditation’ (TL Note: ‘Bikou Chan’ refers to a Buddhist practice of maintaining silence, here used to mean a magical silence enchantment) she had imposed, and commanded in an irrefutable tone:

“You are to send a message to the Immortal Alliance explaining what just transpired and handle your junior sister’s affairs. I will take your master back to the sect for treatment first.”

Then, she rose slightly onto her tiptoes, leaning close to Mo Tingbei’s ear, her breath like orchids, and whispered in a teasing tone audible only to the two of them:

“Senior Brother, let’s go home.”

Having spoken, she gave Mo Tingbei no chance to react, completely disregarding Lin Xiaoxiao, who stood beside them, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails pierced her palms, yet she felt nothing.

She extended her other hand, her pale palm gently pressing against Mo Tingbei’s lower back.

A gentle yet irresistibly powerful force instantly enveloped Mo Tingbei.

The next second, Jiang Jinyue wrapped her arm around Mo Tingbei’s waist, and their figures vanished from the flying boat like ephemeral illusions, leaving behind only a circle of slowly dissipating spatial ripples.

“Master—!!!”

Lin Xiaoxiao’s piercing shriek nearly tore through the night sky.

She lunged desperately towards the spot where they had vanished, only to grasp a handful of cold air.

Immense loss, the humiliation of being utterly ignored, and a profound sense of powerlessness after witnessing the vast disparity in strength, bit into her heart like countless venomous serpents.

She collapsed onto the cold deck, gazing in the direction her master had disappeared, tears mingling with the blood flowing from her palms, splattering onto the deck in vivid, crimson blossoms.

“Jiang Jinyue… give me back… my Master!!!”

The flying boat drifted on, solitary, carrying the maiden’s shattered obsession and utterly devoted longing, continuing its journey into the profound darkness towards the Tri-Unity Sword Sect’s mountain gate.

Mo Tingbei, swept away by Jiang Jinyue, felt light and shadow swirl before his eyes, space and time shifting, until clarity returned, and he found himself in a serene and elegant mountain valley.

Moonlight poured down like water, bathing the babbling brook and swaying bamboo grove, while the surrounding spiritual energy was so dense it almost liquefied.

This place was not unfamiliar to Mo Tingbei; it was Jiang Jinyue’s private cultivation dwelling within the sect.

Jiang Jinyue still held him close, showing no inclination to release him.

She tilted her head slightly to look at him, the moonlight casting a silvery glow that draped her delicate face in a shimmering veil, making her beauty seem otherworldly.

Yet, in the depths of her clear eyes, burned an unconcealed ardor and possessiveness that made Mo Tingbei’s heart pound with alarm.

She lifted her head, her fingertips trembling slightly as she gently caressed Mo Tingbei’s cheek, her voice a tender whisper:

“Senior Brother, it’s just us here now. No one else… can disturb us anymore.”

The protective enchantment at the entrance of the dwelling silently sealed shut, completely isolating the valley from the outside world.

Jiang Jinyue, still holding Mo Tingbei’s hand, walked backward towards the small cottage Mo Tingbei had once helped her build.

She couldn’t bear to tear her gaze away from Mo Tingbei’s face.

Mo Tingbei looked at the ravishing, nation-toppling beauty of the face so close to his own, feeling the tide of insane passion hidden beneath her gentle words, a passion that threatened to utterly consume him, and his heart could only cry out in silent despair.

‘Damn it, will I truly become Junior Sister’s caged bird now?’