“Dual…”

Feng Miaojun was stunned, suddenly understanding the implication. She grabbed the wine jar from the table and hurled it at him. “Damn you! Shameless scoundrel!”

The so-called Dual Cultivation referred to the practice involving the union of yin and yang. Had he said all that just as a way to take advantage of her?

Yun Ya extended his arm to catch the jar, gently placing it back on the table, and quickly waving his hands: “Don’t be angry, it’s just research and discussion. The decision is yours; you can choose not to use it.”

Feng Miaojun’s phoenix eyes widened, her chest heaving with anger: “Of course I won’t use it. How dare you!”

Yun Ya rubbed his nose: “Yes, yes, we won’t use it. We’re just sharing spiritual power anyway; leaving the curse unresolved isn’t a major issue.” She had repeatedly mentioned removing the shared curse and had even sought Golden Branch Jade Dew from King Yan. Was it so easy to get things from King Yan? Yet, she was still single-mindedly determined to remove the curse.

Looking at it now, the effects of this curse were inconsequential to both of them. Her desperate efforts must have some other mystery behind them. He didn’t ask further; once he carefully studied that mark, he would likely understand.

Her beautiful face was still red enough to drip blood: “You’ve been thinking for months, and this rotten idea is all you could come up with?” To remove the curse, she would have to… with him…

Thinking about it made her face burn even hotter; she felt she could fry an egg on it.

He maintained a serious expression, as if truly discussing matters objectively: “If this mark were planted anywhere else, it would be easier to deal with. But it’s in the dantian, where external forces cannot enter. Only the Dual Cultivation method, which nourishes the source and strengthens the foundation, can make our spiritual powers merge and penetrate each other’s dantian.”

“Dual Cultivation has always been a proper method; dao partners throughout the world practice it,” Yun Ya’s eyes were filled with innocence. “This is the only solution I can think of.”

The problem was, that they weren’t dao partners at all!

Feng Miaojun kept a straight face: “Let’s set it aside for now.” They couldn’t continue this conversation; things between her and Yun Ya were already in an extremely dangerous state. This fellow had been utterly seductive toward her in recent days, making her want to push him down countless times.

She didn’t know how she had restrained herself until now. In other couples, women enticed men, but they were doing it backward!

Yun Ya sighed with grievance: “To glimpse the complete picture of the curse, while also enjoying the ultimate pleasure in the world—this is truly a perfect method. I don’t mind putting in the effort…” Seeing her murderous glare, he quickly changed his tune. “All right, all right, we’ll discuss it later.”

Did this girl know what she had said? Her exact words were “discuss it later,” not “never mention it again.” In other words, she hadn’t truly refused.

She was also moved. After these days of intimate contact, she had grown accustomed to their physical closeness. If not for her incredibly strong self-control, every day would have been a case of “brief spring nights and early sunrise.”

Seeing him smiling like a fox that had stolen a hen, Feng Miaojun felt angry. However, Yun Ya’s next words diverted her attention:

“By the way, Chen Dachang has news; he seems to have found what you wanted.”

What did she want? Chen Dachang would certainly be vague in code, but he knew his mistress’s objective! Feng Miaojun’s phoenix eyes widened; she could hardly believe her good fortune.

Had Chen Dachang found Yu Haizhen?

That day, seeing Yu Haizhen severely injured and knocked off the cliff by Nü Ba, she thought this lead was lost. Unexpectedly—

Well done, Chen Dachang!

“Take me out,” Feng Miaojun took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement. “It’s time to attend to important matters.”

“Wait.” Yun Ya was unhurried. “This ‘thing’ you want is Yu Haizhen?”

Feng Miaojun was startled, then remembered how she had previously glossed over this with him. From that perspective, his judgment wasn’t wrong.

Before she could nod, Yun Ya said: “So Yu Haizhen is still alive? But what if I’m reluctant to let you leave?” He smiled harmlessly, but Feng Miaojun’s heart sank as he continued, “Why don’t I go in your place?”

She knew he wouldn’t easily let her go. Feng Miaojun quickly assessed the power balance between them; her cultivation was still below Yun Ya’s, and this was the tiny bottle, his territory. Fighting at an away venue was disadvantageous.

Hmm, confrontation wasn’t a wise choice. No matter how anxious Feng Miaojun was, she could only remain calm now: “What do you want?” She pouted slightly, somewhat resentful.

Yun Ya kissed her lips before smiling: “First, I want to go with you.”

“Fine.” She couldn’t refuse, or else he might go on his own.

“Next, let’s discuss the matter of your compensation to me personally.”

Feng Miaojun glared at him: “You said earlier that if I stayed here for a few days, I could…”

“I said, stay for some more time.” Yun Ya’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. “I was thinking since neither of us is busy, why not have a child for fun?”

“Yun Ya!” Feng Miaojun’s small face flushed crimson with anger. Was this fellow planning to keep her confined here indefinitely?

“Now that you want to leave early, we naturally need to renegotiate terms.” Yun Ya raised his hand to gently caress her face. “Give me the Sovereignty Artifact fragment.”

“It’s not in my possession.”

“Then make a promise, or shall I accompany you back to New Xia to retrieve it?” He wasn’t so easily dismissed.

Feng Miaojun laughed dryly, distancing herself from him: “Suppose the Wei Kingdom is defeated… better to keep the fragment with me as a buffer.”

Yun Ya said displeased: “You think I would lose?”

“You just said the outcome of Wei and Yan’s struggle for supremacy is uncertain.” Feng Miaojun patted his shoulder, her expression was particularly innocent. “Why not let me be your final line of defense, to avoid being completely taken by King Yan? If he colludes with celestial demons and collects all the fragments, wouldn’t the world be doomed?”

Yun Ya’s almond eyes narrowed.

She continued without pause: “How about this: I can promise you that I will never give the fragment to King Yan in any form. As long as the fragment exists, I exist; if the fragment perishes, I—”

Before the final word “perish” could leave her lips, Yun Ya had already covered her mouth with his hand, rebuking her: “Nonsense!”

Feng Miaojun blinked: “Well?”

With her mouth covered, her words were muffled.

Yun Ya stared at her steadily, seeming to weigh matters in his heart for a long time, before finally pursing his thin lips and speaking reluctantly: “Fine, but with one more condition.”

She smiled brightly: “Tell me.”

He brushed the stray hair at her temple behind her ear, his expression becoming solemn: “I want you to swear that in this lifetime, you will not marry anyone but me, nor will you show favor to any other man.”

Feng Miaojun silently repeated this condition in her mind, her fine eyebrows furrowing: “If I cannot marry you, wouldn’t I remain an old maid for the rest of my life?”

What a loss, a huge loss. With so many handsome men in the world, from now on she wouldn’t even have the pleasure of looking at them.

“You still want to marry someone else?” Yun Ya’s face darkened.