Blood Spilled from Cracking Open the Clam Had to Be Spat Back Out by Lin Heng Somehow

Lin Heng, guilty as a thief, shifted a few steps inward.

"Senior Sister?" Zhao Wanqing widened her eyes and looked at the red-robed woman before her, a trace of envy flashing deep in her gaze.

This envy held no malice; she was simply astonished by the other woman's looks.

"What, Junior Brother? You don't look very welcoming of this senior sister's arrival. Fair enough... with a beauty sitting in front of you, my appearance does ruin the mood a little."

"No, no!" Lin Heng shook his head like a rattle-drum breaking through waves, denying it again and again. "How would I dare not welcome you? I'm overjoyed to see Senior Sister again."

"Oh. Good. Then why not let Senior Sister stay and have a meal with you?"

"Ah!" Lin Heng froze, then hurriedly shot Zhao Wanqing a look.

Eat a chicken-feather meal—since when did a guest take the initiative to ask to stay for dinner!

You don't even know Lady Zhao across from you, how can you have the nerve to ask to stay for a meal!

However, Zhao Wanqing very obviously misunderstood Lin Heng's meaning.

"Of course. I wonder how I should address this senior sister."

"Yun Yao. You must be the Zhao Family's young lady. Seeing you today, you truly are as beautiful and moving as the rumors say."

"Miss Yun is joking. I think you're even prettier."

What the hell. How did you two start commercially praising each other!

The conversation that followed was not as cold as imagined. Yun Yao and Zhao Wanqing were both naturally familiar types, and they very quickly began chatting together.

They even talked about how Lin Heng had saved her in Zigu.

Lin Heng was caught in the middle just like that. Even after the dishes were served, all he could do was keep nodding along and dealing with them.

He swore this was the most days-feeling-like-years moment of his entire life.

The more Yun Yao praised him in front of Zhao Wanqing, the less sure he felt.

Why was it different from what I expected? Why did she come to Swallow Cloud City?

For the auction?

Then how did she find this place... could it be she saw me at the auction?

With these questions, the three quickly finished this lunch.

After leaving the Drunken Immortal Inn, Zhao Wanqing left first, leaving space for Yun Yao and Lin Heng.

"Junior Brother, let's go. I have some things I want to talk to you about."

Lin Heng's heart tightened, and for no reason he began to panic.

Afterward, he still forced himself to stay calm and followed her.

"Senior Sister, what do you want to talk about?"

"The matter in Golden Horse City. Don't you have anything you want to say?" Yun Yao's tone cooled considerably.

"Golden Horse City... how long ago was that? Back then, Senior Sister, when you were kidnapped, it was Senior Brother Ye and I who racked our brains to save you."

"Back then, Senior Sister, you were harmed by the Spring Poison. It was all thanks to Senior Brother Ye's pill!"

Lin Heng played the fool.

Who would have thought that just as the two of them walked into an alley with no one around on all sides—

Yun Yao, who was walking in front, suddenly turned around. The last trace of a smile on her face vanished without a shadow.

The might radiating from her body was like a biting cold wind, forcing a person to step back.

One retreated, one advanced.

"Senior Sister, what's wrong with you!"

"Lin Heng, I gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it properly. You did something wrong, yet you don't even have the courage to repent or bear the consequences. Perhaps... only when facing death will a person remember to confess."

"Do you still want me to keep going?"

The pressure of a Golden Core Realm expert could cover all of Swallow Cloud City. Yun Yao did not want to cause too great a disturbance, so she concentrated the pressure onto a single point.

Splat!

Both knees hit the ground.

It was not because he was afraid. Lin Heng simply felt that standing while talking was a little tiring.

He did not understand.

That day, he had stayed behind her the whole time and had even put on a mask. How had he been discovered?

The red robe was close at hand; through the thin fabric, he could even see the outline of those slender jade legs.

After Yun Yao heard what he was thinking, she could not help giving a cold snort. "A crude mask cannot hide your filthy, shameless actions, especially your attitude afterward."

After she finished speaking, a silver-white blade abruptly appeared in her hand, scattering waves of chill beneath the sunlight.

Lin Heng's nerves finally could not hold out. He grabbed the beautiful leg before him in a hug.

"Senior Sister, you can't kill me! My father is the Sect Leader, and besides, I only made the mistake every junior brother would make."

"The situation was urgent at the time. After I fed you the pill Senior Brother Ye gave me, I found that not only had your condition not improved, it had instead grown even more serious."

"Spring Poisons like Joyful Powder and the Sunfall Pill have no antidote. At best, they damage one's foundation; at worst, they can even cost one's life. I had no choice but to act as the antidote."

"Heh." These excuses angered Yun Yao into laughing. "You mean I should thank you, then? Even if we set aside you acting as the antidote, pulling up your pants and running away was a bit too irresponsible, wasn't it!"

The mistake every junior brother would make—listen to what kind of beastly words those were.

"No need for thanks. Let's put the knife away first."

Yun Yao tried to pull her left leg free, only to find that he was stuck to her like cowhide candy.

So she pressed the knife against his neck, her voice cold and clear as she threatened, "Less nonsense! Let go of your hands, and stop rubbing your head against me!!"

"Give me one more chance to quibble, please, Senior Sister!"

"Quibble?"

"Oh no, to explain... a chance to explain."

Yun Yao hesitated slightly.

"Fine. Let go, and I'll give you a chance. Don't worry, this knife won't take your little life. Which household doesn't have a junior brother who makes mistakes? I'm more magnanimous than you imagine."

Hearing this, Lin Heng was first delighted, then surprised.

When had Yun Yao become so understanding and reasonable!

After he let go, he had just been about to stand when pressure descended again over his head. He could only kneel and rest for a while longer. "You only have one chance. If your explanation doesn't satisfy me, from now on, you can only be sisters with me."

"Sisters?" Lin Heng raised his head to look at her, somewhat puzzled.

Yun Yao lifted the knife and pointed it in a certain direction. Lin Heng followed the indicated direction and looked down, so frightened that his little bull went soft on the spot.

!!!

This was the close brother that had accompanied him for twenty-two years.

Yun Yao was actually this cruel. She actually wanted to confiscate his crime-committing tool.

Lin Heng gritted his teeth, his gaze recovering its resolve from fear. "Senior Sister, since it's come to this, I won't pretend anymore."

"I knew that pill was the Sunfall Pill."

A trace of astonishment flashed across Yun Yao's face. She had originally thought Lin Heng would play dumb and shove the responsibility for the pill onto Ye Tian. She had not expected him to admit it directly.

"Then why did you still make me take it?"

Lin Heng took a deep breath, knowing full well that the answer to this sentence would decide the fate of Brother Bull.

"I only realized it afterward. At the time, I didn't know. I didn't want Senior Brother Ye to ruin Senior Sister. He wanted to use the pill to frame me and seize the chance to stretch his demonic claws toward you, Senior Sister. I also wanted you to understand Senior Brother Ye's sinister intentions."

"So the price was that you took my chastity. Even if it was something you had no choice but to do, in my view, your actions aren't necessarily nobler than his."

"No, I was forced by circumstances." Lin Heng shook his head and continued, "What I want to say isn't only this. There's another factor: 'desire and affection.'"

"Desire and affection are the union of affection and lust. It has nothing to do with nobility... From the moment I entered the sect and began getting along with Senior Sister, the elements of desire and affection had already been imprinted on my heart."

"So in this matter, I admit that desire and affection were mixed into it.

Because of affection, I like you, Senior Sister; because of lust, I wanted to have you.

Whether you think these are honeyed words or an excuse I found for taking advantage of someone in a crisis, these are all my true thoughts."

Buzz!

Yun Yao's head buzzed. This completely unexpected confession made her unable to stop herself from retreating two steps. She examined him with a suspicious gaze. "You like me? What do you like about me?"

It would be strange if she could believe this nonsense.

On normal days, she had not been sparing in beating Lin Heng, not to mention all the unpleasant things Lin Heng complained about in his heart.

It was true that he liked her body.

Damn it! What do I like?

Three options swept quickly through Lin Heng's mind.

Figure, looks, personality.

There was no need to think too much. Although figure and looks were both fair answers, they were definitely life-ending ones.

He could only start from personality.

"Of course it's your personality. Who wouldn't like a woman who is proud yet playful, cold and clear yet unyielding?"

"Senior Sister, you have the figure, you have the looks. During the time we've spent together, although you often bullied me..."

"Er... bullied?"

Lin Heng slapped himself hard across the face and hurriedly changed his words. "What I mean is that you took great care of me. How does that saying go? Beating is affection, scolding is love. With affection and love piled together over time, how could feelings not be born?"

"As someone who dares to act and dares to take responsibility, Senior Sister, don't worry. I will definitely take responsibility for you."

"Oh... is that so." Yun Yao dragged out her tone and withdrew the pressure.

Lin Heng was overjoyed and hurriedly stood up. From the look of things, this answer had passed.

"Responsibility must certainly be taken, only..." Yun Yao circled around him, looking him up and down.

Hm? She agreed to him taking responsibility?!!

Only what?

Lin Heng stood in place, his emotions rising and falling like a roller coaster.

Once the two words "take responsibility" were achieved, wouldn't that mean the two of them had become Dao companions?

Otherwise, what else could be used to talk about responsibility?

"In the past, there were indeed quite a few people in the sect who pursued me. They took a fancy to my deceptive appearance, but after truly understanding me, they labeled me the Overbearing Flower."

"You said you liked my personality... although it's somewhat unexpected, since you said beating is affection and scolding is love, and you like affection and love piled together so much..."

"Then as your Senior Sister, I'll have to dote on you plenty from now on!"

As soon as the words fell, Lin Heng's pupils suddenly shrank. He saw darkness suddenly descend before his eyes, his chest caving inward by a section as a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out.

Bang!

His body drew a beautiful arc, spinning several times. With a downward tilt, his head plunged straight into the mud.

Yun Yao withdrew her hand and blew out a breath.

The blood spilled from cracking open the clam had to be spat back out by Lin Heng somehow.

The main point was not taking a loss.