Chapter 21

That sounded so fucking reasonable.

Ye Zhenzhen smiled. When it came to being stingy and taking advantage of public funds, Shen Xingyan had truly inherited Immortal Venerable Shen's ways. In the original book, he had indeed come out on top and won this Flying Boat, then used it to take Ye Qingyao back to the sect. Of course, the Spirit Stones the Flying Boat burned through had gone on the public account too, but that came later.

The four of them boarded the Flying Boat one after another. Ye Zhenzhen vaguely glimpsed another figure behind them, sneaking aboard in their wake. Now this should be good.

Riding a Flying Boat felt different from riding an Azure Luan. Whether it was ascending, descending, or weaving through the clouds, the journey was smooth and comfortable, without a single jolt or sway.

The scenery beneath the night sky stirred the heart. Above them, the moon shone bright, and the stars looked close enough to pluck with an outstretched hand.

So romantic. So beautiful.

Shen Xingyan and Ye Qingyao stood at the very front of the Flying Boat, admiring the night view as a breeze brushed their cheeks. But every time he wanted to move a little closer to her or say something heartfelt, two pairs of eyes beside them watched like the brightest lightbulbs in the night sky.

Shen Xingyan: ...

With those gazes prickling at his back, he found a chance to hand Ye Zhenzhen over to Ye Qingchuan. Then he decided to take them somewhere that might distract the children.

He turned the Flying Boat around and steered it down from the sky into the sea, bringing them near the Sea Beast Pavilion on Jade Pool Island.

[Wow, there are so many sea beasts here.]

[There's even a fish with three heads, and a whale with a horn on its head.]

"Junior sister, look over there! There's a Sea Ghost. It doesn't even have eyes, and its body is half-transparent. It looks so eerie and scary."

[Third senior brother, stop trying to frighten me. That's clearly a Ghost Jellyfish.]

The Sea Beast Pavilion charged a thousand Superior Spirit Stones for admission, so Ye Zhenzhen and the others had never been willing to go in. Now Shen Xingyan had brought them through a secret passage that cost nothing, giving them a glimpse of all sorts of strange sea beasts. Completely captivated, the two children eagerly looked at them one by one.

Looking after children was hard. Trying to court someone while looking after two was harder still.

Shen Xingyan seized the chance to lead Ye Qingyao to the other side of the Flying Boat and finally enjoy some time alone with her. "A-Yao, look how beautiful the sea is at night. It reflects the stars and moon above."

"It is. Whether we're in the sky or on the sea, it's nothing like the scenery I usually see on Cloudsky Mountain. It's beautiful, like a dream."

"Then could I take you out often to see all kinds of sights?" He gazed intently at her lovely face in the moonlight. Her long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and her almond eyes were as innocent and sweet as a fawn's. He could not hold back. "Cloudsky Mountain shouldn't become a cage that keeps you trapped. You should see the wider world beyond it."

"I'd like to, but that depends on fate." Her expression dimmed. "Master says everyone has their own duty, and we were born to protect Cloudsky Mountain."

"No, A-Yao. Fate is something you have to reach for yourself."

When she said nothing, he added, "That Luo Bingyao... Actually... there's nothing between us. She just keeps clinging to me."

"If she likes clinging to you, that means you're charming." Ye Qingyao smiled until her eyes curved into crescents. Her casual reply sounded like praise, but something about it felt wrong to him.

There was not a trace of jealousy in it.

"A-Yao, do you still not understand how I feel about you? From the first moment I saw you, I knew in my heart that you were my future Dao Companion. I want to respect you, love you, protect you, and spend this otherwise dull life by your side." Shen Xingyan's puppy-dog eyes blazed as he reached for her delicate hand. "If you'll take my hand, I can take you to every corner of the world. We'll see snowcapped mountains and grassy plains, towering peaks and lakes, and auroras so romantic they hardly seem real."

Shen Xingyan had confessed.

He had originally planned to wait until Ye Qingyao fell in love with him and confessed first, giving him every advantage in their relationship. But now his instincts told him that if he did not confess, this chance might slip away. He decided to take the gamble.

It was Ye Qingyao's first time receiving a confession, and she did not know how to respond. She lowered her head shyly. She knew this was a gentle trap, with a bottomless abyss waiting if she leaped into it. Yet her heart raced beyond her control, and she yearned for everything he had described.

After struggling with herself, she slowly withdrew her hand beneath his expectant gaze.

Shocked and disappointed, Shen Xingyan swept his sleeve and left.

The night fell quiet.

Something sticky suddenly coiled around Ye Qingyao's hand. She turned and found herself face-to-face with a pair of enormous eyes and more tentacles than she could count. She screamed in terror and nearly fainted.

At the other end of the Flying Boat, Ye Zhenzhen had been absorbed in watching the creatures in the Sea Beast Pavilion. Suddenly, she remembered the original book's description: Ye Qingyao would be attacked at sea by a Demon Beast in the Nascent Soul Realm. She squirmed frantically in Ye Qingchuan's arms. [Oh no! Senior sister is in danger! We have to save her!]

I'm so sad. So few people have bookmarked this. I've lost all motivation to update.

Humbly begging for bookmarks.

Chapter 21

Hearing Ye Qingyao scream, Shen Xingyan spun around. Two blood-red tentacles were wrapped tightly around her hands. He drew his sword at once and severed them.

But the severed tentacles quickly grew back. No matter how many he cut, they kept coming, and still more surged toward them. Rows of suckers covered every tentacle, making them hideous and terrifying.

"Oh no! It's a Tentacle Monster!"

The Tentacle Monster let out an earth-shaking roar. Its body swelled several times over in an instant, and its tentacles stretched out to coil around the entire Flying Boat, churning up towering waves. The Flying Boat rocked in the sea, nearly overturning.

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