Chapter 8: The Mysterious Woman's Passion

The Dual Cultivation Pavilion is situated on the serene Yunmeng Ridge, its buildings scattered among the mountains in a harmonious and picturesque manner. The magnificent palace at the very center is the main pavilion of the Dual Cultivation Pavilion.

Lin Zixuan and Lu Zhongming rode side by side. The latter noticed that Lin Zixuan seemed puzzled by the strange looks he received from the Dual Cultivation Pavilion disciples they had encountered along the way, so he explained, "The Dual Cultivation Pavilion is the most powerful force in the Yunmeng Ridge area. Its history is long, no less than that of Penglai Palace. But the biggest difference between us is that although the people of the Dual Cultivation Pavilion often come down the mountain, they rarely invite outsiders to visit, let alone be personally invited by the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden. Xuan'er, this minor injury you suffered today was truly worthwhile, a wonderful experience."

By the end, he was all smiles, looking at Lin Zixuan with a knowing look.

Lin Zixuan blushed: "Uncle Lu, please don't tease me. Xuan Nu only invited us because of my chivalrous act; she didn't mean anything by it."

Lu Zhongming looked at the magnificent carriage not far ahead and shook his head, whispering, "You're mistaken. The Dual Cultivation Pavilion is notorious for its disdain for my Penglai Palace. Knowing you're the young master of Penglai Palace, the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden still insisted on inviting you. Look at your uncle, one of the three great martial arts masters of the Nine Provinces, whose status is on par with the Dual Cultivation Lady. But your uncle is only able to enter the Dual Cultivation Pavilion because of you. If your uncle's guess is correct, the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden has probably fallen in love with you at first sight."

"How is this possible?"

Although Lin Zixuan said this, his heart couldn't help but pound violently when he thought of the dreamlike and beautiful eyes of the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden.

"Impossible?" Lu Zhongming curled his lip. "If it's impossible, why would she invite Wan'er onto her carriage when she's never met her before? If you don't believe me, you silly boy, go ask her yourself when Wan'er comes back."

The group followed the Dual Cultivation Pavilion to the front hall, where a group of servants immediately came to arrange accommodations for everyone.

As VIPs, Lin Zixuan and his companions were given several secluded and elegant courtyards arranged by Shuangxiu Pavilion. The entourage of Penglai Palace did not receive such treatment, but their resting places were also quite nice.

Lu Zhongming pointed to the two prisoners whose martial arts had been crippled and whose hands and feet were shackled, and said, "You don't need to trouble yourselves with these two important prisoners. My men can take care of them."

The Dual Cultivation Pavilion had no objection and handed over the two Situ family prisoners captured by Lu Zhongming to the Penglai Palace staff for safekeeping.

When Wenren Wan returned, Lin Zixuan dismissed the others and asked her, "What did Xuan Nu say to you?"

Wenren Wan covered her mouth and chuckled, her beautiful eyes scanning Lin Zixuan up and down: "Although Xuan Nu seems to be doing it casually and hiding it very well, I can still tell that she may have fallen for you."

Lu Zhongming patted him heavily on the shoulder: "See? Was I wrong? The Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden is a stunning beauty renowned throughout the continent. She, along with your fiancée, the talented woman, and your wife, are known as the three great beauties of the Nine Provinces. Of course, our Wan'er is just not good at maintaining her reputation, otherwise, there would be another one among the three great beauties. You must seize this opportunity!"

After saying that, Lu Zhongming left, leaving Lin Zixuan standing there dumbfounded.

"What's wrong, Xuan-di? Are you so happy you've gone crazy?" Wenren Wan waved her hand in front of him.

Lin Zixuan exhaled heavily, unable to hide his excitement, and said, "Xuan Nu, she really... I still don't quite believe in me."

"Sister is absolutely certain. Our Xuan-di is so handsome, what girl wouldn't like him? Plus, he risked his life to save her, it's perfectly normal for her to fall for him." Wenren Wan then covered her mouth and chuckled. "Actually, I think it's not just Xuan-nu, at least half of those nine delicate and lovely girls also like Xuan-di. Didn't you notice they were secretly watching you the whole way?"

Lin Zixuan's face flushed red, and he stammered, unable to utter a word.

To be honest, all nine beauties involved in the dual cultivation were top-tier beauties. Although they couldn't compare to Wenren Wan or the dual cultivation goddess, they each had their own unique charm and were equally captivating. However, he had no improper thoughts about them. He just didn't expect that on their first meeting, one of the nine beauties would be interested in him.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. You've been traveling all day and you're filthy. Go take a bath. The Dual Cultivation Pavilion is hosting a banquet for us tonight, and Xuan Nu said that the Dual Cultivation Lady will also be attending. We can't be impolite. I need to take a bath too."

"Oh, I see." Lin Zixuan glanced at himself; his clothes were a little wrinkled, and his boots were covered in mud. He quickly went back to the villa to wash up.

As night fell, Lin Zixuan, Wenren Wan, and Lu Zhongming, along with seven stewards, went to the banquet. The servants of Penglai Palace were not entitled to attend.

The banquet was held in the main hall of the Dual Cultivation Pavilion. When Lin Zixuan stepped into the hall, he felt a sense of familiarity, and then he remembered that when Penglai Palace had hosted Wenren Wan's classmates, the scene was quite similar to the one before him. The only difference was that there were a lot more people attending the banquet this time.

The main hall of the Shuangxiu Pavilion is spacious and bright, with jade-like stone bricks paving the floor, and seventy-two palace lanterns illuminating the main hall.

When Lin Zixuan and his group entered, they received a fairly warm welcome, not the cold reception many had expected. After all, rumors of discord between the Dual Cultivation Pavilion and Penglai Palace had been circulating widely across the continent. Presumably, the guests were personally invited by the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden, and even if there was discord, the members of the Dual Cultivation Pavilion could not show it and be impolite to their guests.

Two figures, one in red and one in yellow, sat quietly in the main seat.

The dual-cultivation nun changed into a pale yellow palace gown, which enveloped her exquisite figure. The gown exuded an ethereal elegance, its wide skirt trailing behind her with graceful grandeur. Her cloud-like hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with a delicate flower and a few lustrous pearls. Her face was still partially veiled, but her beautiful eyes made no attempt to conceal their gaze upon Lin Zixuan as he entered.

Lady Shuangxiu wore a long, bright red silk dress with a low neckline that revealed her full, fair breasts. Her face was like a lotus blossom, her eyebrows delicately arched, her eyes sparkling with spring, her skin as white as snow, and her black hair styled in a high bun. Her bright red lips were slightly upturned; she was truly a mature and captivating beauty. In terms of looks, Wenren Wan and Sima Jin'er could both surpass her, but in terms of charm, only the Sword Maiden of Penglai could rival her.

"Please take your seats, everyone."

As soon as the Dual Cultivation Madam spoke, Lin Zixuan and the others took their seats.

Lin Zixuan's attention had been entirely focused on the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden, and he had only paid a brief glance at the Dual Cultivation Madam. Now that he was seated, he had the leisure to observe the people from the Dual Cultivation Pavilion present.

On such occasions, all nine beauties of the dual cultivation were present, and their seating arrangement indicated that they held very high positions. However, to Lin Zixuan's surprise, besides the few still-attractive women, there were five or six men, at least fifty years old, sitting leisurely in the seats of honor. Judging from their seating arrangement, these men were even slightly higher in status than the nine beauties.

The Dual Cultivation Pavilion has always been a matriarchal society, where male disciples hold a far lower status than their female counterparts. Even outstanding male disciples like Xuan Yuanlin and Hua Dongsheng are only ranked below the Nine Beauties, illustrating this point. Lin Zixuan estimated that these individuals were all experts within the Dual Cultivation Pavilion; only those with superior strength could attain a position within this matriarchal structure.

The Dual Cultivation Lady leisurely introduced the group. The four women were all elders of the North Academy of the Dual Cultivation Pavilion, jointly in charge of the North Academy, and also the masters of the Nine Beauties. The other six men were elders of the South Academy, responsible for managing all male disciples, and their status was equal to that of the women. Next were Xuan Yuanlin, Hua Dongsheng, and the chief disciples of the South Academy named Lin Feng and Mo Jianbei.

Judging from the identities of these four people, they should be the new generation of backbone forces that the Dual Cultivation Pavilion is focusing on cultivating. Upon seeing Xuan Yuanlin, Lin Zixuan made up his mind to find an opportunity to meet him.

While I was pondering, I heard Lady Shuangxiu speak slowly.

"The bandit leader Wang Yi has repeatedly evaded the government's pursuit, leading a group of fearless followers who burn, kill, and plunder with the speed of the wind. Some time ago, the government received news that Wang Yi had fled to the Yunmeng Ridge area, and thus requested that my Shuangxiu Pavilion rid the people of this scourge. I originally thought that such a simple matter would be handled by my daughter, but who knew that she would almost be in danger. Fortunately, Young Master Lin bravely rescued her and forced the bandit leader to retreat. I am extremely grateful."

"Madam, you're too kind. Anyone in your position would not stand idly by," Lin Zixuan quickly declined.

To be honest, he didn't think about anything at the time and just rushed over. In fact, if he hadn't intervened, Wang Yi wouldn't have been able to harm the Dual Cultivation Maiden. Looking at Lu Zhongming's later assessment, she said that the Maiden's martial arts were comparable to Lin Zixuan's. If she had only delayed for a moment, it would have been very easy for Wang Yi to escape; he would have had no other fate but to be beheaded.

Lin Zixuan's injury was entirely due to his lack of experience. He didn't need to confront Wang Yi head-on; he could have simply stalled. But then again, if Lin Zixuan hadn't fought so fiercely, Wang Yi wouldn't have been injured. In that case, the people from the Dual Cultivation Pavilion would likely have had to pay a price to take him down.

Lin Zixuan noticed that although the Dual Cultivation Lady was expressing her deepest gratitude, her expression remained calm and indifferent. Moreover, her eyes held a strange quality, occasionally scanning him up and down, which made Lin Zixuan feel somewhat uneasy.

Fortunately, the dual-cultivation nun beside him had her undisguisedly bold gaze fixed on him alone. When Lin Zixuan looked at her, the latter's beautiful eyes revealed a smile, making his heart pound wildly.

He didn't notice that, apart from Xuan Yuanlin, the other three top disciples of the Southern Academy, upon seeing the two exchanging glances, each harbored anger or jealousy in their eyes. Their expressions were hostile towards Lin Zixuan, and when they looked at Wenren Wan, who sat beside him like a fairy, her gaze was filled with even more resentment.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually became more lively.

Wenren Wan whispered in Lin Zixuan's ear, "Brother Xuan, I'm full. I'll sit for a while longer and then head back."

"What's wrong? Why are you eating so fast?" Lin Zixuan asked in surprise.

Wenren Wan frowned slightly and said, "It's all because of those old guys. They're all staring at me. I feel very uncomfortable being stared at by them and want to leave the table as soon as possible."

Lin Zixuan turned his head and saw that it was indeed the case. At this moment, all six male elders were captivated by Wenren Wan's beauty. It was the first time they had seen this unfamiliar beauty, and they were openly staring at her from time to time.

Lin Zixuan felt a surge of anger; these old bastards were so shameless.

Just then, he suddenly noticed that the elders of the Southern Academy all tensed up, sat up straight, and adopted a dignified demeanor, drinking and chatting happily with the others at the table, as if everything just now was Lin Zixuan's illusion.

Lin Zixuan was taken aback. When he looked up at the stage, he saw the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden turn her gaze away from the group with an icy expression. When she looked at him again, her gaze was now filled with apology. Lin Zixuan felt a sense of relief.

Lu Zhongming, standing to the side, didn't notice any of this, because he realized that the Dual Cultivation Lady seemed to be watching him intentionally or unintentionally. Given Lu Zhongming's formidable cultivation, how could he not sense someone watching him? Considering that even the Penglai Sword Maiden couldn't resist his charm, could this Dual Cultivation Lady, whose beauty rivaled even the Sword Maiden's, also secretly harbor feelings for him?

The more Lu Zhongming thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He was a Martial Grandmaster with an extraordinary status. The Sword Maiden, whose beauty and fame surpassed even that of the Dual Cultivation Lady, had still become his woman. How could the Dual Cultivation Lady escape this fate?

Although the Sword Maiden is a woman with a strong desire for control and would not allow him to have another woman, wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if he could develop a beautiful relationship with the Dual Cultivation Lady, as long as the Sword Maiden doesn't find out?

I heard that Lady Shuangxiu's husband passed away four or five years ago, and I have never heard any rumors about her in all these years. I suppose that she has been celibate for a long time, and today, when she met him for the first time, she was already unable to control her feelings.

Thinking of this, Lu Zhongming picked up his wine glass, filled it to the brim, put on what he thought would be a display of his heroic spirit, and raised his glass to his wife, the woman he was cultivating with.

She was indeed looking at him, and Lu Zhongming was overjoyed.

The woman looked at him, a hint of mockery flashing across her beautiful face. She didn't touch the wine glass in front of her, then turned her head to the side, pretending not to see Lu Zhongming's actions.

What's going on? This art style is off!

Why the mocking expression? Shouldn't the Lady of Dual Cultivation be blushing and half-heartedly raising her cup to drink with him? And why is she ignoring him completely?

Sensing that many eyes were on him, Lu Zhongming nonchalantly downed his drink, even praising it as "good wine," before engaging in conversation with a manager beside him without the slightest embarrassment. His shamelessness was truly astonishing.

Wenren Wan, who was standing to the side, had been watching the whole scene with great difficulty. If it weren't for her ladylike image, she would have burst out laughing long ago.

Lin Zixuan and the Dual Cultivation Mystic Girl exchanged a glance, both seeing the barely suppressed smile in each other's eyes.

The dinner ended in this rather strange atmosphere.

After everyone left, Lu Zhongming's face darkened, and he walked away quite dejectedly.

Upon seeing this, Wenren Wan finally couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

"Young Master Lin, please wait a moment. My young lady wishes to invite you for a chat. Please follow me."

The one who spoke was the youngest of the nine beauties; she was very pretty and had a well-behaved appearance.

"Brother Xuan, since the Goddess Xuan has invited you, you should go." Wenren Wan looked at him with a half-smile, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Go without worry, your sister won't be jealous, and I think Sister Jin'er won't mind either."

"Then please lead the way, young lady."

The Shuangxiu Pavilion boasts a tranquil and elegant environment, comparable to Penglai Palace. Living in such a place would be a truly delightful experience.

Lin Zixuan followed her for a while, turning past several charming little courtyards. A gentle breeze carried a faint, delicate fragrance from her. He casually asked, "By the way, may I ask your name, young lady?"

"Young Master Lin, you can just call me Yuejian." Yuejian turned around and gave him a sweet smile.

"Moon View, what a lovely name. Is it a flower name?" Lin Zixuan said.

"Mmm-hmm," Yuejian said cheerfully, "We're all orphans, and our names were given to us by the madam. Young Master Lin, you might not know, but all of our names are nicknames."

"Oh, what are their names? Miss Yuejian, could you tell me?" Lin Zixuan asked with great interest.

"We are listed from oldest to youngest, and our names are Lily, Apricot, Peony, Peach Blossom, Jasmine, Peony, Asparagus Fern, and Platycodon. I am the youngest, so my name is Moon View. Also, Lily and I are responsible for Miss's daily life," Moon View said, as if reciting a familiar story.

"I see. I wonder if Miss Yuejian knows why Xuan Nu wanted to see me alone?"

Yuejian chuckled, first stealing a few glances at him before saying, "I know, but I won't say anything. When Young Master Lin arrives, he'll naturally find out."

During their conversation, it wasn't long before Tsukimi led him to a charmingly decorated courtyard.

After leading him inside, Tsukimi closed the door and took him to the inner room.

It turned out to be a tea room, elegantly furnished. The dual-cultivation maiden was sitting cross-legged before the tea table, her delicate toes, clad in white socks, peeking out from beneath her long, flowing dress. Beside her sat the tall woman who had reprimanded Hua Dongsheng earlier that day, another of the Nine Beauties; presumably, this was Baihe. Lin Zixuan then noticed that she wasn't wearing shoes; her crystalline feet were directly on the wooden floor. He quickly looked and saw, sure enough, two pairs of exquisite, small embroidered shoes, one yellow and one green, placed by the door to the inner room.

Just as Lin Zixuan was hesitating whether or not to take off her boots, Yuejian squatted down beside her and said with a grin, "I'll help you take them off. Anyway, even if you don't take them off now, you'll have to take them off later."

While Lin Zixuan was still in a daze, Yuejian had already swiftly taken off his boots. Then, she kicked off her own feet, her small embroidered shoes came off, and she happily ran to sit down on the other side of the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden.

The dual-cultivation nun glared at her irritably, then said apologetically to Lin Zixuan, "Young Master Lin, please sit down. This girl is usually a bit frivolous, please don't take offense."

Yuejian pouted, "Miss, how have I ever been improper? Please don't speak ill of me in front of Young Master Lin."

After Lin Zixuan sat down, he smiled and said, "What are you saying, Xuan Nu? Miss Yuejian is lively and lovely, how could I blame her?"

After he finished speaking, he noticed that Lily across from him was secretly watching him. When he noticed, her face flushed red, and she lowered her head. Lin Zixuan felt a strange sensation, but couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

"Young Master Lin, I won't say much in thanks. I'll offer you tea instead of wine to express my gratitude for your rescue."

Yuejian chimed in from the side, "This is tea picked from the Tianshan Mountains. It's called something like Tianshan Silver Tip. Miss spent a lot of money to buy just a little bit. Even our elders can't get any. Miss is so kind to the young master."

"You're so talkative," the dual-cultivation nun scolded lightly, then gently lifted the veil from her face.

A stunningly beautiful face, capable of both anger and joy, seemed to carry a hint of shyness. The moment Lin Zixuan saw the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden's face, he was completely stunned. She was as beautiful as a goddess untouched by worldly affairs, who had secretly descended to the mortal realm. Even with the unparalleled beauty of Sima Jin'er and Wenren Wan, they could not possibly surpass her. The Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden's beauty surpassed even that of the Dual Cultivation Lady.

The slender, jade-white hands of the dual-cultivation nun gently held up a teacup and gracefully presented it to Lin Zixuan: "Young Master Lin, please try my cooking."

"Thank you for your trouble, Mystic Maiden."

The dual-cultivation nun smiled and said, "Young master, there's no need to stand on ceremony. My name is Huanxin, and my father's surname is Shan. You can just call me by my name."

At this moment, Yuejian interjected again: "Young master, do you know why our young lady has always worn a veil? It's because before her marriage, no man other than her future husband could see her true face. Now that you've seen our young lady's true face, do you know what that means?"

Lin Zixuan's heart skipped a beat. His hands trembled as he took the teacup, and his fingers brushed against the slender, white fingers of the Dual Cultivation Mystic Woman. Both of them felt a tingling sensation run through their bodies. The Dual Cultivation Mystic Woman's ears turned red instantly, and she looked away, unable to meet Lin Zixuan's gaze.

If Lin Zixuan still doesn't understand the other party's feelings at this moment, then he has lived in vain all these years.

He looked at the dual-cultivation nun with burning eyes and said, "Huanxin, there's no need to stand on ceremony. Just call me by my name."

"Mmm." The dual-cultivation nun responded softly, calling out, "Xuanlang."

The way he called out "Xuanlang" almost melted Lin Zixuan's heart.

Lin Zixuan felt a sweet warmth in his heart as he drank a cup of tea. This was the second woman to call him "Xuanlang," and she was so beautiful and charming. He had only come out of a sense of justice today; how could he have imagined that he would run into a woman he liked, and who also fell in love with him at first sight?

Setting down the empty cup in his hand, another slender, pale hand reached out to rinse and soak the cup with practiced ease. It was Baihe, one of the nine beauties, a tall woman. Lin Zixuan said "thank you" to her, and two blushes immediately rose on her cheeks. She stole a glance at Lin Zixuan before not daring to look up, completely unlike the dashing figure she had been when she reprimanded Hua Dongsheng earlier that day.

"Wang Yi's internal strength is profound. Although the injuries Xuanlang sustained in his fight with him are not serious, it will take at least ten days to half a month for him to fully recover. Since Xuanlang's injuries were caused by my younger sister, it is my younger sister's duty to treat him."

Lin Zixuan suddenly realized that he was supposed to treat his injuries.

The Dual Cultivation Pavilion's dual cultivation techniques are world-renowned. It is said that they can not only rapidly enhance the power of both practitioners, but also be used to heal others with excellent therapeutic effects. Could it be...?

Seeing his flushed face, the Dual Cultivation Maiden blushed slightly herself, then continued, "Forgive Huanxin for not being able to heal Xuanlang personally, but Baihe and Yuejian are both my people, and have practiced dual cultivation techniques since childhood. Moreover, they both care for you... These next few nights, they will heal Xuanlang in my stead. In less than three days, Xuanlang's injuries will be fully healed."

Lin Zixuan stared at the two women in astonishment. Baihe glanced at him briefly before shyly lowering her head. Yuejian, on the other hand, blushed deeply, but her beautiful eyes were fixed on him intently, showing no embarrassment whatsoever.

Looking at these two exceptionally beautiful women, it would be a lie to say that Lin Zixuan wasn't tempted. However, the thought of having to occupy the bodies of two beauties just because he needed to heal his injuries was something he found hard to accept.

The dual-cultivation goddess saw his predicament. After a long while, she said softly, "Although Baihe and Yuejian are of high status, they are actually Huanxin's maids. If Xuanlang has even the slightest affection for Huanxin, please do not refuse."

When a wealthy young lady marries, her maidservants accompany her as part of her dowry. The "Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden's" statement essentially implies that Lin Zixuan has already taken her two maidservants. The following sentence directly suggests that her heart already belongs to Lin Zixuan; she has boldly abandoned all a woman's dignity, demanding that if Lin Zixuan doesn't agree, it will utterly and severely wound her heart.

If word gets out, the Dual Cultivation Pavilion, in its fury, will completely turn against Penglai Palace.

How could he let these stunning beauties he had fallen for at first sight be heartbroken? Lin Zixuan couldn't do it.

His handsome face flushed red as he asked, "So, where should we begin?"