A brief peace

The long night finally drew to a close.

The first sliver of dawn light pierced through the room’s window, and with it, Yan Yun’s eyes fluttered open.

Upon opening her eyes, she cast a glance at the beauty slumbering beside her. Noticing Jiang Yao was still deep in sleep, Yan Yun let out a soft giggle, then leaned in and stole a quick, tender kiss.

“It’s barely morning; don’t get all frisky,” Jiang Yao grumbled, her eyes still closed, her voice laced with a languid weariness.

Yan Yun flashed a mischievous grin, her hand already tracing a gentle path across the beauty’s slender form, stroking her with deliberate lightness.

The sensation, a blend of ticklish delight and simmering warmth, soon compelled Jiang Yao to open her eyes.

“That’s so ticklish, stop touching me,” Jiang Yao chided playfully. “Couldn’t I satisfy you enough last night?”

At the mention of the previous night’s escapades, Yan Yun’s face instantly fell, and she spoke with a palpable lack of energy.

“It feels so incredibly different, you know?” Yan Yun mused, a faraway look on her face. “Before, I was the aggressor, all drive and passion. But now, it’s purely about receiving. I finally understand why you women enjoy intimacy so much. Just lie back, let go of everything, and you can simply soar.”

“Oh, get out of here,” Jiang Yao retorted, pushing back the covers and sitting up. “You talk as if you’re not a woman yourself now. Stop messing around. If you’re so keen on playing, go drink more papaya soup to speed up your development, and then you can amuse yourself.”

Yan Yun’s gaze drifted from Jiang Yao’s ample bosom to her own decidedly flat chest, and she let out a soft sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“A woman’s body truly is… twisted,” Yan Yun muttered, a hint of awe and exasperation in her voice. “Tell me, in a few years, will I also be as voluptuously curved as you?”

At this, Jiang Yao, now standing, cast a condescending glance at Yan Yun. “Hmph! With your disposition, I predict you’ll undoubtedly become a wicked enchantress, bringing ruin upon the land and its people,” she declared, her gaze still assessing. “Now, get up; we still have formalities to attend to today.”

Having delivered her judgment, she swung her legs off the bed and began to dress, grumbling softly as she did so.

“I’ve truly been short-changed,” she lamented. “Though we’re the same age, our physical development is worlds apart. I simply can’t muster a single shred of desire for your still-undeveloped physique.”

“Hmph!” Yan Yun shot back. “Just you wait. When I finally develop, and my body surpasses yours in beauty, I fear you’ll be consumed by envy.”

Amidst their playful bickering, the two women finished dressing.

Jiang Yao, at that moment, decided to experiment with the style of a young married woman, sweeping all her hair up into an elegant coiffure. Once she was done, she turned to Yan Yun, a playful grin on her face, and asked, “Well, how do I look? Do I exude the aura of a sophisticated married lady?”

Yan Yun stroked her chin, scrutinizing Jiang Yao with a serious expression. “Hmm, how about this,” she began, “it would be perfect if you were a bit older. Speaking of which, my mother’s appearance is quite striking, actually.”

Jiang Yao’s response was an immediate, dramatic eye-roll in Yan Yun’s direction.

“You rascal, you don’t harbor a mother complex, do you?”

“Hehe, that, I couldn’t say,” Yan Yun replied, a cheeky grin spreading across her face. “All I know is, I have a fondness for the ‘married woman’ type. I actually preferred your appearance in your previous life even more.”

“Pah! You shameless wretch,” Jiang Yao playfully cursed, a laugh bubbling up.

Shortly thereafter, having fully dressed, the two women proceeded to the inner hall, where Jiang Yuan and the others were already patiently awaiting their arrival.

Yan Yun and Jiang Yao knelt simultaneously before Jiang Yuan, Xie Ting, and Xia Yu.

“Father, Mother, Niang, please accept this tea,” Jiang Yao intoned, presenting three cups of tea to each of them in turn.

Once the three had finished their tea, Yan Yun, mimicking Jiang Yao’s actions, also offered each of them a cup.

With the rituals concluded, both women rose to their feet simultaneously.

“Yun’er,” Xia Yu began, “there’s something I must inform you of. Your mother, early this very morning, departed with Fairy Yunshuang to return to the Yunhua Sect.”

Upon hearing that her mother had already left Qifeng City, Yan Yun’s spirits visibly dampened, her expression clouding over.

In the days leading up to her reunion with Jiang Yao, Yan Yun’s happiness had largely stemmed from Su Muyu’s companionship. Now, with such an abrupt separation, her low spirits were entirely understandable.

“My mother already informed me yesterday,” Yan Yun confirmed, then turned to Jiang Yuan. “But Father, are our two families truly going to continue this struggle against the Lin family, as well as the Zhou and Song families?” She posed a question that promised no easy or pleasant answer.

Yet, it was a question that could not be avoided.

“Ah, Yao’er,” Jiang Yuan sighed, offering a comforting tone. “You will remain at home for another month. During this period, the Lin family, along with the Zhou and Song families, will likely refrain from any rash actions. However, what transpires after a month is difficult to predict. Rest assured, though, as long as the Lin family doesn’t directly involve themselves, our combined forces can easily contend with the Zhou and Song families.”

Despite Jiang Yuan’s assurances, Yan Yun understood with stark clarity that even if the Lin family merely intervened covertly, both the Yan and Jiang families would face immense hardship.

The connections and influence wielded by the two sides were simply not comparable. They could not place all their hopes on the Yunhua Sect, for even within its formidable walls, unity was far from absolute.

Though Fairy Yunshuang held the position of Sect Master, many significant decisions still necessitated a vote among the elders and the ultimate approval of the Grand Elders.

For instance, if the higher echelons of the Yunhua Sect collectively deemed the Lin family to be of greater value, it would prove exceedingly difficult for them to lend aid to the Yan family in their conflict.

Following their discussion with Jiang Yuan, Yan Yun and Jiang Yao proceeded to pay their respects to the other members of the Jiang family.

As for the Yan family, with Su Muyu already departed, whether Yan Yun returned or not held little significance. In their estimation, Yan Yun was merely a means to solidify the alliance between the two families, and as an ordinary individual, she could offer them no further assistance.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo was also preparing to return to the Yunhua Sect that very day.

“Fourth Uncle,” Lin Mo stated, his face clouded with a grim expression, “for this coming month, ensure you meticulously assist the Zhou and Song families in their preparations. While we cannot openly confront the Jiang and Yan families, we can gradually, step by step, erode their influence in the realm of commerce. You grasp my meaning, I trust?”

“Understood. Rest assured,” Lin Yuan affirmed. “However, regarding the Yunhua Sect, you must also ensure your master keeps Sect Master Yunshuang in check.”

Lin Mo nodded in agreement; this was a task he would have undertaken even without Lin Yuan’s reminder.

With his instructions delivered, he gathered his retinue, ascended into the sky, and sped towards the Yunhua Sect with utmost haste.

Qifeng City once more settled into a fragile calm, yet this tranquility was merely the ominous prelude to an impending tempest.

****

Several days later, leveraging their crucial connection to the Yunhua Sect, the Yan family finally succeeded in persuading Qifeng City’s Immortal Alliance Inspector to lift the seal on their elixir business, albeit after paying a substantial fine.

Such a concession was, without a doubt, a direct result of clandestine instructions from the Yunhua Sect.

As the core sect of Jiang Nation’s Immortal Dao Alliance, the Yunhua Sect wielded immense influence. When Fairy Yunshuang personally intervened, the Immortal Alliance Inspector was left with no choice but to grant her request.

The Lin family, for their part, had secured the services of a formidable alchemist for the Zhou family. Their intention was to flood the market with superior elixirs, thereby wresting control of the Yan and Jiang families’ lucrative elixir trade.

This was destined to be a protracted war. The Lin family’s ultimate goal was to systematically dismantle the power of both the Jiang and Yan families, thereby compelling Jiang Yao to submit to their will.

As for Yan Yun, she was, for the time being, entirely beneath their notice.

Throughout this month, the two women lived a remarkably happy and fulfilling life, embracing the full spectrum of married intimacy. They understood the necessity of cherishing every moment of this precious time.

Once the month concluded and Jiang Yao returned to the Yunhua Sect, future meetings would, in all likelihood, become exceedingly rare and difficult to arrange.

As Yan Yun’s cultivation soared, her previously undeveloped body began to mature at a visibly rapid pace.

For cultivators, commencing their training at the age of five typically meant reaching the physical maturity of a grown woman by around twelve years old.

Yan Yun had already been cultivating for nearly two months, and the potent energies she absorbed were actively accelerating her physical development.

Approximately twenty days into their marriage, amidst their playful antics, Jiang Yao suddenly noticed a distinct change: Yan Yun’s chest was no longer perfectly flat; a clear, discernible curvature had begun to emerge.

“Haha!” Jiang Yao exclaimed, mid-bath, pointing a triumphant finger at Yan Yun’s chest and bursting into peals of laughter. “Yan Yun, have you noticed? Your body is finally beginning to develop!”

Yan Yun instinctively clutched at her chest, her face flushing with a mixture of embarrassment and resignation. She had, in fact, noticed the change a few days prior.

“Curse you,” Yan Yun mumbled, her face still burning. “It must be your constant touching that accelerated my development!”

“And isn’t that a good thing?” Jiang Yao teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Only you are allowed to play with mine, but I’m not allowed to play with yours? Hurry up and grow; I prefer them large, hehe.”

Yan Yun let out a heavy sigh, recognizing this was an inevitable development.

Several days later, the time finally arrived for Jiang Yao to return to the Yunhua Sect.

In their room, the two women found it incredibly difficult to part.

“Yan Yun, I have to go back now,” Jiang Yao said, embracing her. “You must be well-behaved at home. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to tell my father. And remember, whatever you do, prioritize your own safety, understand?”

Truth be told, if she could, Jiang Yao would have loved to take Yan Yun back to the Yunhua Sect with her.

However, this would violate the sect’s rules, and given Yan Yun’s cultivation of poison arts, exposure would be all too easy.

“Mm, I understand,” Yan Yun replied, though her voice betrayed her reluctance, she still tried to appear understanding of Jiang Yao’s situation. “Your most important task right now is to cultivate diligently, and so is mine.”

After chatting privately for half an hour, Jiang Yao, watched by Yan Yun and the rest of the Jiang family, ascended into the sky on a White Phoenix Bird. With lingering reluctance in her gaze, she continued to watch Yan Yun below until she was completely out of sight.

Watching Jiang Yao depart, Yan Yun took a deep breath, then turned and went back inside.

She, too, needed to refocus her mind on cultivation.