Chapter 2672: Showdown

Black Jingteng noticed the two women nearby and pouted slightly in displeasure. However, her expression quickly changed, and she snuggled into Zu An's arms with a smile. "Ah Zu, are you bringing them to play with us this time? I don't mind, but I wonder if Sister will agree."

Yun Jianyue was speechless.

"Is the 'play together' you're talking about proper?"

Pei Mianman was bewildered.

"It's one thing for Miss Jing to joke with me, but to joke with Sect Master Yun? Sect Master Yun is a great demon, after all."

However, a smile involuntarily touched her lips when she recalled Jingteng's origin, considering she was precisely meant to seal great demons.

Zu An also felt a headache. "Stop messing around. I brought them to see Honglei."

Black Jingteng retorted indignantly, "How dare you say that? We agreed that we would help you take care of her, and you were supposed to visit us often to 'reward' and 'nourish' us. We took good care of her, even giving up our house for her to live in, yet you've barely spent any time with us from beginning to end."

Yun Jianyue, her face darkening, said to Zu An, "You go ahead and 'reward' her properly. I'll go see Honglei first."

Yun Jianyue's rage level surged to an immense degree (777777...).

Pei Mianman also had a strange look on her face. "I'll go see Honglei too."

Pei Mianman's rage level similarly surged (777777...).

Just as Zu An was wrestling with this headache, Jingteng's black hair visibly turned white.

"Sister, you're being mischievous again." White Jingteng's aura was distinctly different; she was elegant and dignified, completely unlike the playful and capricious one from moments before.

Yun Jianyue and Pei Mianman instinctively stopped. Although they knew the sisters shared one body, witnessing the transformation firsthand was always a startling experience.

White Jingteng nodded slightly to the two women. "My younger sister caused you some amusement just now. I hope you'll forgive her, considering her youth and occasional impulsiveness."

Both Yun Jianyue and Pei Mianman thought to themselves, *Isn't your sister the same age as you?*

*Either way, both of you are old enough to be our great-grandmothers many times over.*

Nevertheless, White Jingteng stood there with an air of noble elegance, and her tone was so sincere that they naturally couldn't take offense. "Miss Jing, you exaggerate," they replied.

Meanwhile, Black Jingteng protested vehemently within her mind: "*What do you mean, 'mischievous' or 'impulsive'? These two women are clearly our rivals! Why are you being so polite to them?*"

"*In my opinion, we should expose Yun Jianyue's relationship with Ah Zu. Let that 'big-chested woman' fight it out with her first, and then we sisters can reap the benefits.*"

When Yun Jianyue had come to visit Qiu Honglei previously, the sisters had secretly witnessed her intimate interactions with Zu An, making their relationship easy to deduce.

White Jingteng directly suppressed her sister's urge to reveal the secret. Instead, she offered the beautiful women an elegant smile. "I'll take you to find Miss Qiu."

At the same time, she reasoned with her sister mentally: "*Your method is too crude. They'd surely realize later that we instigated it, and how would Ah Zu look at us then?*"

Black Jingteng grumbled, "*Are we just going to let this go? Watch Ah Zu flirt with them?*"

"Why resort to such petty tactics? Isn't it better to simply watch the show from the sidelines?" White Jingteng smiled mysteriously. "This is a trump card only we know; we can't reveal it so easily."

Black Jingteng's expression turned odd. "*Sister, I think you're even more scheming than me when you get down to it.*"

Jingteng led the way. As Pei Mianman watched her figure in a qipao sway gracefully ahead, she secretly sighed, "That waist, those hips... if I were a man, I wouldn't be able to resist either."

Yun Jianyue was also somewhat worried. Ah Zu was surrounded by such exceptional women; how could Honglei possibly stand her ground alone? *Perhaps I should help her out?*

The moment the thought surfaced, she silently scoffed at herself, her cheeks burning intensely.

*Oh, Yun Jianyue, Yun Jianyue, when did you learn to be so duplicitous, like that 'Ice Stone Woman'? Are you *really* thinking of helping Honglei?*

Just then, the door of the small wooden house in the distance creaked open, and a graceful figure slowly emerged. "Sister Jing, Ah Zu..."

She had been taking a nap and came out to check after hearing noises outside. She was in the middle of greeting them when she suddenly saw Yun Jianyue and froze, uttering, "Ma—"

Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion; she didn't know how to face Yun Jianyue.

Should she call her Master, or should she call her Sister?

She had always held her Master in high regard, and her Master had always cherished and cared for her. Yet, the memory of seeing her with Zu An on Mount Chouchi still caused a pang of pain in her heart, even now.

Pei Mianman, unaware of the complex history between the master and disciple, hurried over and steadied her. "Honglei, you've gotten thinner again recently; you look like you'd fall over in a gust of wind. Did the things I brought you last time not suit your taste?"

Since the pendant she inhabited had been with Zu An all this time, Pei Mianman had accompanied him to visit her many times. The two had been old acquaintances in Brightmoon City, and though there were some past grievances, after everything they had been through, those had long been forgotten.

"Manman," Qiu Honglei said, taking her hand and revealing a faint smile. "I haven't had much appetite recently."

With frequent visits during this period, the relationship between the two women had progressed by leaps and bounds.

"It's normal when recovering from a serious illness," Zu An said. "Just eat something light for a while, and you'll recover after some time of recuperation."

Qiu Honglei hummed in acknowledgment. Realizing her Master was still nearby, she momentarily didn't know how to react.

Pei Mianman, however, didn't notice their awkwardness. Instead, she announced helpfully, "Honglei, Sect Master Yun has come to see you. Actually, she visited before too, but you weren't awake then."

Qiu Honglei's heart trembled, but she still managed to utter, "Master."

With others present, she naturally couldn't reveal the relationship between her Master and Ah Zu.

"Honglei!" Yun Jianyue could no longer hold back. She pulled her into a tight embrace. "Master is so sorry. I caused you so much suffering."

The guilt that had been suppressed for years could no longer be contained; it surged from her heart, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

She had always believed that if not for that incident involving her and Zu An, her disciple would not have run away from home, nor would she have encountered the subsequent dangers that nearly resulted in her soul scattering.

Feeling her clothes on her shoulder dampen, and recalling her Master's care and love from earlier days—as well as the thought that they had almost been separated forever—Qiu Honglei also couldn't stop herself from crying. "Master..."

Seeing the scene, Pei Mianman said to Zu An, "Let's give the Master and disciple some private time together."

Zu An hesitated, knowing the true nature of the relationship between the Master and disciple.

At that moment, White Jingteng also nodded. "Exactly. They haven't seen each other for so long; they must have a lot to talk about. We shouldn't disturb them."

Having said that, she walked out first. Zu An found it awkward to remain, so he could only give Yun Jianyue a 'good luck' look and followed them out.

Yun Jianyue felt an inexplicable nervousness. She hadn't been this tense even when facing mountains of corpses, rivers of blood, or confronting Zhao Hao himself.

She had never imagined that one day she would be afraid to face her own disciple.

After the door closed, an eerie silence suddenly fell over the room.

The two women, who had moments ago been weeping with profound master-disciple affection, simultaneously separated and sat upright.

Ultimately, Yun Jianyue broke the silence. "Honglei, I've been so worried about you all these years. Thankfully, Ah Zu found the immortal medicine to save you."

"Ah Zu is indeed very capable," Qiu Honglei sighed faintly. "Otherwise, how could he have possibly won Master's heart?"