Shattered Sanctuary

Her gaze first froze, then was instantly filled with a complex swirl of doubt and unease.

“Xi Xi, is that you?” Luo Bingning’s voice trembled slightly. Her face was pale, and fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead. She clutched her faintly aching lower abdomen, struggling to rise.

Her spiritual sense quietly unfurled, swiftly enveloping the entire stone cave.

Yet,

Within the stone cave, a profound silence reigned. Only her own erratic breathing, Zhang Xiaocha’s faint, even breaths beside her, and the occasional soft plink of water droplets falling from the stone walls could be heard.

Her brow furrowed slightly, a deep sense of loss clouding her delicate features. Her red lips trembled, tinged with confusion and self-mockery, as she softly murmured, “How can they not be here…”

“Did I mishear?” She nodded faintly, a flicker of dimness passing through her downcast eyes. Just then, her gaze inadvertently fell upon Zhang Xiaocha beside her, and a subtle trace of relief swiftly crossed her pupils.

‘I hope I was just imagining things…’

Luo Bingning instinctively clenched her fists. Otherwise, if Xi Xi were to see her in such a state, she would surely be heartbroken!

A faint wisp of spiritual energy quietly coalesced at her fingertips, like a gentle strand of silk. With a soft flick of her hand towards the clothes scattered on the ground, the garments slowly floated towards her.

In the corner of the stone cave, Mu Xi quietly observed everything.

Her hands trembled slightly as they slowly rose, clamping tightly over her lips. It was as if her hands formed a barrier, meant to firmly lock away the surging sorrow and rage within her. She desperately tried to prevent the impending torrent of sobs from escaping.

‘Damn it… I actually called out Bingning’s name instinctively…’

‘No, I absolutely cannot make another sound. Otherwise, Bingning would be even more humiliated!’

“Mmh…” On the stone bed, a burning pain flared beneath Luo Bingning as she dressed. She let out an involuntary groan.

Her body went soft, and she collapsed onto Zhang Xiaocha. This caused the sleeping Zhang Xiaocha to unconsciously murmur, “Mmm~”

Luo Bingning saw Zhang Xiaocha’s slightly pouted lips and long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. A gentle smile irresistibly curved her own lips, and her eyes softened. “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

She gently raised her fair wrist, carefully using her fingertips to brush away the stray strands of hair clinging to Zhang Xiaocha’s face. Her palm softly caressed Zhang Xiaocha’s cheek, and the delicate sensation that transmitted through her skin sparked a warm current in Luo Bingning’s heart.

She glanced at the ambiguous marks adorning Zhang Xiaocha’s body, and a blush blossomed on her face like a flower.

Suddenly!

She slowly leaned down and pressed a deep kiss onto Zhang Xiaocha’s forehead.

‘Xiaocha…’

‘From now on, can we please not accumulate any more Disgust Value?’

She buried her delicate face in Zhang Xiaocha’s neck, her warm breath caressing their chests.

‘A ticklish sensation~’

This made her tender body tremble. ‘Once you reach the Golden Core stage, Xiaocha, we’ll conceive together. You’ll be the father, I’ll be the mother, and we’ll bring our baby along. Wherever you go, I’ll carry our little one and follow you.’

Luo Bingning’s lips curved upward unconsciously, her face radiating a blissful smile. She gently rubbed her cheek against Zhang Xiaocha’s, her eyes filled with tender amusement. ‘You’re such a glutton…’

‘Our baby will probably be just like you, won’t they…’

Mu Xi’s eyes were bloodshot, tears welling within them. The hatred in her heart blazed like a roaring inferno. “Zhang Xiaocha, I’ll kill you!”

When her gaze fell upon the skin of Luo Bingning’s chest, covered in ambiguous marks, it was as if she had been stabbed by a blinding light. She abruptly squeezed her eyes shut. Tears, like broken strings of pearls, streamed out, flowing freely down her cheeks.

‘That was a forbidden sanctuary she had always cherished, a place she had never dared to touch…’

‘Yet now, it had been so wantonly trampled and defiled by Zhang Xiaocha!’

Mu Xi’s eyes snapped open, a fierce glint flashing within them. She glared venomously at the motionless Zhang Xiaocha on the stone bed, killing intent surging like a tidal wave in her heart. “I will definitely kill you!”

Her hands clenched tightly, her fingers digging deep into her palms. Blood slowly seeped from between her digits, yet she remained utterly oblivious. Her entire being was consumed by hatred for Zhang Xiaocha and aching sympathy for Luo Bingning.

Suddenly!

Luo Bingning slowly rose and dressed herself. A gentle spiritual energy imbued her fingertips. She lightly raised her fair wrist, letting her fingertips rest on Zhang Xiaocha’s flat lower abdomen, then slowly moved them upward, wiping away all the ambiguous marks.

With a gentle flick towards Zhang Xiaocha’s clothes on the ground nearby, the phoenix-tail skirt and undergarments instantly flew towards Luo Bingning.

She slowly uncovered the bedding draped over Zhang Xiaocha. Gazing at Zhang Xiaocha’s serene sleeping face, a tender smile graced Luo Bingning’s lips, her eyes filled solely with Zhang Xiaocha’s image. She gently dressed her, then carefully pulled the bedding back over her before finally rising.

Her gaze swept across the empty surroundings.

The stone cave was perfectly square, furnished only with a stone bed, a stone table, and two stone stools. Nothing else adorned the space. Under the delicate touch of the silver moonlight, it exuded an aura of chilliness and solitude.

Her gaze slowly drifted, finally settling on a dark corner. A faint shadow permeated that spot, and a hint of melancholy tinged her usually sparkling eyes. She murmured to herself,

‘Could it be her?’

Luo Bingning stood silently in place, her eyes slightly closed. A gentle breeze swept past, rustling the hair at her temples. The silver moonlight struggled to penetrate the cracks in the stone, casting its faint glow upon Luo Bingning.

In the corner,

Mu Xi slowly lifted her head, meeting Luo Bingning’s deep, complex gaze from not far away. Her body instantly stiffened, every nerve tightening in an instant.

‘I… I’ve been discovered?!’ A terrifying thought flashed like lightning through her mind.

‘No!’

‘Impossible!’

‘I’m wearing the Jade Glaze Celestial Robe! This must just be a coincidence!’

Yet, the panic deep within her heart spread and grew uncontrollably, like wild grass flourishing in spring. Her fingertips clenched tightly onto the corner of her robe, her knuckles turning white from the force.

She held her breath, not daring to make a single sound.

‘If…’

‘If Bingning really discovered me, she would definitely detest me completely…’

Tears swam in her eyes, brimming with fear, grievance, and unease. Yet, she bit her lip tightly, stubbornly refusing to let those tears fall.

Just then,

A murmured sound escaped Luo Bingning’s lips. “It’s been several days; I should go check on Ye Wanrou…”

With that, her figure stumbled out of the stone cave.

In the corner,

Mu Xi breathed a slight sigh of relief. However, when her gaze fell upon Luo Bingning’s staggering steps, her heart constricted sharply.

‘Bingning…’

The tears she had been desperately holding back could no longer be suppressed. They burst forth like a breached dam, streaming down her cheeks. They dripped onto her robes, leaving dark, spreading stains.

She leaned weakly against the stone wall, the recent intimate memories relentlessly replaying in her mind, leaving her heart desolate. Yet, when her eyes inadvertently landed on Zhang Xiaocha on the stone bed, a faint curve appeared at her lips.

‘It’s fine!’

‘As long as I kill Zhang Xiaocha, Bingning will definitely come back to me!’

She tore off the Jade Glaze Celestial Robe, slowly rose, and walked towards the stone bed…