Chapter 113 Late-Night Preaching (Part Two)
Yu Linglong, Yu Linlang, and Chi Lianer stood quietly in front of the palace, watching the heavy palace doors close silently, completely swallowing Xiao Ming's figure. The setting sun's rays draped a layer of warm golden gauze over them, yet it could not dispel the varied thoughts rising in their hearts.
Yu Linglong's heart sank heavily the moment Xiao Ming's final words fell, immediately seized by a cold chill and an indescribable sense of shame. She was not a sheltered girl ignorant of the world; she knew a thing or two about the infighting within her Family and the rumors in the cultivation world. The Saint's words—"clear the blockages," "eliminate distracting thoughts," "bedchamber"… when these terms were combined, the implications were almost self-evident. Her cheeks felt slightly hot, but what was stronger was the anxiety of worrying for her younger sister and the powerlessness of her own situation. She quietly clenched her fists inside her sleeves, the slight pain keeping her clear-headed. 'Linlang is still so… young.' Yu Linglong's heart was in chaos, filled with fear for an unknown fate, but even more so with a determination that as the older sister, she must protect her younger sister. That thought became clearer and clearer in her mind—if it could not be avoided, then she would bear everything. She could try to be more proactive, more submissive; perhaps if she pleased the Saint, he would spare her younger sister…
This thought made her feel a sense of self-loathing shame, but seeing her younger sister beside her, who had been lowering her head and rubbing the corners of her clothes ever since the Saint entered the palace, that bit of shame was suppressed by deeper worry and resolve. She took a light breath, trying to make her expression look calm and ripple-free, though the lingering blush on her earlobes betrayed the turmoil in her heart.
Yu Linlang's reaction was much simpler and more direct. At first, hearing that the Saint wanted to personally guide her in her Cultivate, her heart leaped with joy. The Saint was so powerful; being able to receive his guidance must be a tremendous Opportunity! But the requirements to "bathe and calm the mind" and "eliminate distracting thoughts" made her vaguely feel that something was unusual, seeming different from the normal transmission of power she had imagined. She subconsciously looked at her sister, but received no response. This caused the small amount of unease and doubt in her heart to expand. She couldn't help but sneak a glance at the newcomer, Sister Chi Lianer, beside her, only to see the other woman looking at the two sisters with a meaningful expression. That look… made Yu Linlang think inexplicably of when she was young, seeing the meaningful gazes of the concubines in her Family fighting for favor. For some reason, she also suddenly remembered the incident a few days ago, when the Saint was in the Blood Pool with a stunning beauty, the memory of which made her blush with shame… She hadn't dared to watch for long back then and had run away with a red face, but now, recalling it, her small face still burned intensely. Could it be… could it be that tonight, she and her sister would also…? This thought made her heart beat like a drum; she was both afraid and felt a secret, inexplicable anticipation that even she couldn't understand. She hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look around or think too much, terrified of being discovered by others… especially her sister, and felt her face burning fiercely.
Chi Lianer took in the expressions of the two sisters, especially the tension hidden beneath Yu Linglong's forced composure, and the irrepressible innocence and panic of Yu Linlang. She understood in her heart, almost able to foresee what kind of fragrant and exciting scenes would unfold in the Saint's bedchamber on Holy Son Peak tonight.
Chi Lianer bloomed with an impeccable, charming smile, but her expression held deep meaning as she broke the brief silence. "Two young ladies," her voice was not loud, but enough to call the distracted sisters back to reality. "Since the Saint has given his orders, we must comply. The hour is still early; why not follow Lianer to familiarize yourselves with the rules of Holy Son Peak, especially the details to note when serving the Saint's daily life, so as to avoid being flustered when the time comes and incurring the Saint's displeasure? That would be a dereliction of our duties."
Her words were polite, and her posture was humble, but words like "displeasure" and "dereliction of duty" hit the Yu Family sisters like small hammers, making them more clearly aware of their current "status."
Yu Linglong was the first to snap back to reality. After all, she was the older sister; she suppressed the chaos in her heart, nodded slightly at Chi Lianer, and tried to make her voice sound steady. "We will trouble you, Sister Chi Lianer." She pulled her younger sister, who was still in a daze, signaling to her.
Yu Linlang seemed to react only then, hurriedly following suit with a bow, saying in a low voice, "Th-thank you, Sister Chi Lianer."