Gongfa

Fortunately, the child, who was perched on his knee, immediately chimed in,

“Father, Mother and I have been searching desperately for you.

Have you abandoned us?”

Qiu Yan was speechless.

What an outrageous accusation.

Qiu Yan now recognized them.

The child was clearly the little healer in disguise, and for reasons unknown, both of them—the tall “woman” and the small child—had adopted such an appearance, approaching him with a formidable air and uncanny coordination.

Had he not been acutely aware that he was solely devoted to cultivation and had never incurred any karmic debts or romantic entanglements outside, he might well have believed himself to be a heartless, faithless scoundrel.

Those in the hall overheard the red-robed “woman” vehemently accusing the seemingly faithless man,

“Speak up, why are you silent?

Do you not even dare to answer in front of your child?

You dared to abandon your wife and child, so why do you not dare to admit it now!”

Qiu Yan found himself in an impossible bind, unable to respond or refuse.

He sensed a shift in the gazes of the elders from the Lu Clan Manor and the disciples attending within the room; all eyes were now fixed on him with curious, nuanced expressions.

He uttered, his voice strained, “Yes… yes, madam…”

Those present who knew the true identity of the red-robed “woman” wore expressions of utter dismay, unable to bear the sight.

Qi Zifeng, in particular, had maintained a blank face ever since escorting Lin Langyao inside, diligently pinching the flesh of his leg to prevent any sign of breaking down.

Heaven knew the profound shock he felt at the sight of these two addressing each other as “husband” and “wife” repeatedly.

Lu Zhuo noticed his unusual demeanor and asked gently,

“What is the matter?

Are you feeling unwell?”

Qi Zifeng, bristling with goosebumps from the inquiry, shot him a look of profound distaste.

The Young Master Lu, however, did not take offense, merely smiling good-naturedly before turning to mediate.

“There might be some misunderstanding here,” he suggested.

“Madam, you must be weary from your journey with the child.

Perhaps you should sit down, and then we can discuss this further.”

With the host having spoken, any reasonable person would grant them some deference.

Qiu Yan, seizing the opportunity, added, “…Whatever it is, let us discuss it when we return.

How did you manage to find your way here?”

Upon hearing this, Lin Langyao recalled the real matter at hand.

“I only found my way here because I was being hunted,” he stated.

At his words, a chill ran through the hearts of the others.

Hunted?!

They had just departed, so how could Lin Langyao have been pursued so quickly thereafter?

Qiu Yan desperately wanted to ask who was pursuing them, but considering the current setting, it was inappropriate to do so aloud, so he reluctantly held his tongue.

Lu Zhuo, however, overheard their exchange and, with a look of great astonishment, inquired, “Someone is pursuing your esteemed wife?

How could such a brazen act occur?

Where did Madam encounter these ruffians?

If it was within Jiuyuan City, I can dispatch disciples from the manor to investigate.”

Lin Langyao waved his hand dismissively, vaguely stating, “Never mind, they’ve long since fled.

What use would it be to go now…”

He inwardly scoffed, ‘It was their Lu Clan disciples who were chasing me.

Are they going to investigate themselves?’

Lu Zhuo smiled, “Then let us serve Madam some tea to soothe her nerves.

I was unaware that Sword Venerable Qiu had already taken a Dao companion and was blessed with such an adorable child.”

They were all seated cross-legged on individual mats within the room.

Lin Langyao instinctively started to move towards Wen Chaoxuan, but then suddenly remembered he was currently “Madam Qiu.”

Under Wen Chaoxuan’s gaze, he shifted his steps and sat down beside Qiu Yan instead.

He dared not scrutinize Wen Chaoxuan’s expression, feeling that with Wen Chaoxuan’s proper demeanor, he must be seething with anger at his current attire.

Had he not already seen Wen Chaoxuan’s hand resting on his sword?

However, it was an accidental turn of events; he had not intended it.

Had there truly been no other option, he would not have resorted to wearing women’s clothes.

“Husband, please make some room,” Lin Langyao called out, the address now flowing naturally from his lips, repeatedly using “husband.”

He settled down, unceremoniously lifting his skirt, a posture that once again drew sidelong glances.

Qiu Yan wished to caution him but found it difficult to speak, so he merely shifted to the side.

Lu Zhuo watched the family of three with a beaming smile, then suddenly, out of the blue, he asked, “Is Madam Qiu also a disciple of the Sword Sect?”

Lin Langyao looked at him strangely.

“Why do you ask?” he retorted.

Lu Zhuo was a refined young master from an aristocratic family, his smile dignified and generous, utterly devoid of impropriety in his conduct.

Yet, he inexplicably gave off an unsettling feeling, like daggers at one’s back.

Lu Zhuo explained, “I merely thought that since Madam was able to escape from pursuing ruffians with a child in tow, your martial skills must be extraordinary, no?”

“What’s so special about that?” Lin Langyao waved his hand, speaking quite unceremoniously.

“If you can’t defeat them, you can always outrun them.

When traveling, one always carries a few magical artifacts for protection.”

Qiu Yan perceived Lu Zhuo’s probing intent, surprised by the young man’s keen perception, and stated with some displeasure, “My wife and I have been betrothed since childhood.

She has spent most of her years within our sect and does not often venture out.

Her disposition is merely a bit straightforward.”

Lu Zhuo received the warning glance and realized he had overstepped.

Most sword cultivators were not to be trifled with, especially a sect-guardian level sword cultivator like Qiu Yan; there was no benefit in provoking him.

Thus, he offered an apologetic smile and ceased his questioning.

Lin Langyao, however, did not grasp such subtle implications.

A sudden flash of insight struck him, misinterpreting Lu Zhuo’s words, and he loudly declared, “What do you mean?

Are you despising me?”

Qiu Yan was speechless.

Lin Langyao, utterly immersed in his role, immediately pushed Qiu Yan away, stood up, and pointed at him.

“I knew you were annoyed with me!” he exclaimed.

“Now you’ve finally spoken your true feelings!”

Qiu Yan deeply felt the meaning of being utterly unable to defend himself, especially as the little healer fanned the flames beside him.

“Father, this is your fault,” the child urged.

“Quickly, apologize to Mother!”

Lin Langyao declared, “I don’t want his apology!

Since he despises me, then today, we part ways!”

Qiu Yan’s heart sank, sensing trouble, and indeed, the very next second, Lin Langyao swiftly summoned his sword.

Qiu Yan reacted with extreme swiftness, scooping up the little healer and retreating, allowing the table in front of him to be cleaved in half by Lin Langyao.

The people of the Lu Clan were utterly dumbfounded, having never imagined that Madam Qiu possessed such a volatile temper, ready to strike at the slightest disagreement, and moreover, against a sword cultivator like Qiu Yan, who was only a hair’s breadth away from the Tribulation Transcendence stage.

The room erupted in an uproar, with voices clamoring to mediate.

At this point, Wen Chaoxuan finally found himself unable to endure the farce any longer.

All present witnessed a blur of white robes flash like the wind.

The “Madam Qiu,” who was furiously brandishing a sword to strike her “lover,” was firmly embraced around the waist by a powerful arm, her momentum abruptly halted.

Qiu Yan immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Had Wen Chaoxuan not intervened, he would have been forced to retaliate.

“Still causing trouble?”

Wen Chaoxuan’s long, thick eyelashes were lowered, his dark eyes devoid of much emotion, making it impossible to discern if he was brewing anger.

Lin Langyao, held in Wen Chaoxuan’s embrace with his face upturned, instantly quieted as if his very life force had been seized.

His fiery demeanor completely extinguished, his hand trembled, and the long sword transformed into a streak of green light, vanishing into his Dantian.

His face was painted snow-white, his lips heavily rouged a vivid red.

To be honest, this appearance was not particularly appealing; even Wen Chaoxuan couldn’t help but frown upon seeing it.

However, Lin Langyao’s black hair, loosely styled into a woman’s bun, with strands cascading beside his face, complemented by his wide, nervously blinking eyes, lent him an air of ambiguous gender.

Moreover, the faint scent of cosmetics emanating from him strangely made Wen Chaoxuan feel as though he were truly embracing a woman.

Wen Chaoxuan released him expressionlessly, and Lin Langyao immediately took a step back, thinking with lingering trepidation, ‘That was close.

I went too far.

Thankfully, Wen Chaoxuan didn’t get angry, or it would have been truly humiliating to be beaten in front of everyone.’

The others, having witnessed Wen Chaoxuan’s arm around “Madam Qiu’s” waist, shifted their gazes back and forth between “Madam Qiu” and Wen Chaoxuan, finally returning to Qiu Yan.

Their expressions began to grow rather subtle.

Qiu Yan was speechless.

Wen Chaoxuan simply stated, “This is my disciple.”

Although they were master and disciple, such intimacy between an adult female disciple and her venerated master was still rather improper.

However, Wen Chaoxuan could not explain to them that his unfortunate disciple was, in fact, a man, so he said no more.

He shot Lin Langyao a meaningful glance and simply ordered, “Let’s go,” before leading the way and departing the hall.

Lin Langyao, holding up his skirt, hurried out behind him.

The woman’s long robes were cumbersome, causing him to stumble and trip over them repeatedly as he walked.

Wen Chaoxuan had no choice but to pause and wait for him.

He saw Lin Langyao’s long hair disheveled from running, a cluster of flower hairpins askew at the side of his head, looking as though they would fall with another step.

Unable to resist, he reached out to steady them.

What he hadn’t anticipated was how precarious Lin Langyao’s hairstyle already was; with just a light touch, the hairpin fell into his hand, and black strands cascaded over his shoulders.

Wen Chaoxuan paused, startled.

Lin Langyao, unaware of what had happened, touched his head and looked at him.

Wen Chaoxuan handed the hairpin back to him.

“Put your hair up,” he instructed.

Lin Langyao made a wry face.

“How would I know how to do my hair?” he lamented.

“The proprietress of the cosmetics shop did this for me.

Never mind, let’s just leave it like this.

The act is over anyway.”

Wen Chaoxuan admonished him with a stern face, “How improper is this?”

Seeing that Lin Langyao truly didn’t know how, Wen Chaoxuan had no choice but to personally style his disciple’s hair.

Wen Chaoxuan didn’t actually understand women’s hairstyling, but his memory was exceptional and his learning aptitude high.

Relying solely on his recollection of women’s hairstyles he had seen on the street, he managed to fashion a respectable, simple bun.

The emerald-blue hairpin, adorned with a tiny green leaf, was slowly pushed into the thick black hair, completing the style.

Lin Langyao felt a sense of novelty; Wen Chaoxuan had combed his hair before, but that had been when he was very young.

“Master, where are we going next?”

“Coming to the Lu Clan Manor this time was the correct decision,” Wen Chaoxuan said, pulling out the repaired rhomboid mirror from his sleeve.

For some unknown reason, a strange building was now reflected on its surface.

“Where is this?” Lin Langyao asked, puzzled.

“I don’t know, but if I’m not mistaken, this building should be right here within the Lu Clan Manor,” Wen Chaoxuan replied, gesturing for him to look up.

The surrounding architecture was indeed identical to what was shown in the mirror.

Lin Langyao’s jaw dropped in astonishment.

He had not expected the mirror to act as a guide, leading them to a specific location.

“It has this kind of function?”

“I can’t quite fathom it either,” Wen Chaoxuan said, his brows furrowed.

“I did nothing to it, yet it changed its image on its own, as if… as if it has already developed a spirit.”

While some magical artifacts do indeed develop spirits, those are exceptionally rare, approaching the level of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Treasures.

Yet, this small mirror did not appear to possess such potent spiritual energy.

Lin Langyao, disinclined to ponder too much, said, “Never mind that.

Let’s just go find it first.”

Wen Chaoxuan withdrew his hand, tacitly agreeing to his suggestion.

The master and disciple searched within the Lu Clan Manor.

As a powerful super-sect family, the Lu Clan Manor’s patrols and restrictive arrays were virtually seamless and difficult to breach.

However, they had the misfortune of encountering someone like Wen Chaoxuan, who could not be guarded against by conventional means.

No matter how stringent the defenses, to him, they were as if entering an uninhabited land.

Before long, they located the building shown in the mirror.

But they hadn’t expected the owner of this building to be—

The master and disciple exchanged a glance.

Wen Chaoxuan pushed open the back window and slipped inside.

Only after he had thoroughly checked the room and confirmed it was empty did he allow Lin Langyao to enter.

Lin Langyao, still in his long skirt, struggled to climb over the window ledge and dropped inside, landing in a kneeling position.

He looked around.

It was a lavishly decorated bedroom, complete with an antique shelf, calligraphy and paintings, a burning incense burner, meticulously pruned potted pines, and silver satin drapes and bedding.

Everything was exquisitely elegant.

A long saber, displayed beneath a beast-hide tapestry, clearly indicated the identity of the room’s owner.

Lin Langyao exclaimed, “The Thunder-Snow Saber!

How can this be Lu Wenhan’s room?”

What a narrow escape from an enemy, Lin Langyao thought.

But since the rhomboid mirror had guided them here, there must be a reason.

He immediately scrambled to his feet and began searching the room.

“Not this, not this either, this… hmm?

What is this?”

Wen Chaoxuan, who had originally been searching the room in silence, immediately emerged from behind the curtains upon hearing Lin Langyao’s murmuring.

He saw Lin Langyao holding a book, looking up at it with a thoroughly bewildered and perplexed expression.

“What have you found?”

“I found a strange book,” Lin Langyao said, handing the book to Wen Chaoxuan with a serious expression.

“It doesn’t look like a proper cultivation technique.

Maybe it’s a clue.

I can understand cultivation methods having diagrams, but why are these all pictures of two people fighting?

It looks sinister, definitely not a righteous cultivation method.”

A bad premonition stirred within Wen Chaoxuan.

He took the book and saw the title emblazoned on the cover: *The Great Joy and Great Desire Yin-Yang Intercourse Sutra*.

Wen Chaoxuan was silent for a moment, then said, “This is a dual cultivation technique…”

As he finished speaking, he suddenly realized a problem.

Then he heard Lin Langyao, with an exceptionally eager and inquisitive demeanor, continue to ask, “What is dual cultivation?”