Chapter 21

She did not know how long her grass life would last. Perhaps the effect of entering dreams would stop working one day. Rather than betting on so many uncertainties, it would be better to be a little more carefree and help Eldest Senior Sister find her master.

“You want to go with her?” Zhai Wangyou’s tone was very light, but her expression was extremely cold. Extremely cold.

Xi Zhou nearly laughed from anger. Who exactly was the one hesitating and shrinking back? How was she turning around and blaming her instead?

“What I mean is that all is fair in war. First, exchange me for the information. Afterward, I’ll secretly come back.” She could transform, anytime and anywhere. Running away should be relatively easy.

Zhai Wangyou’s brows moved slightly, as though she had been swayed by this proposal.

Seeing that she seemed tempted, Xi Zhou suddenly felt unhappy again. “What? Eldest Senior Sister really can bear to give me to her?”

Even if it was only temporary…

Zhai Wangyou did not speak.

Could she bear it?

She asked herself inwardly, but no one gave her an answer.

Xi Zhou laughed softly and leaned close to her ear. “Can you bear to push me to someone else, let me enter someone else’s dream, and do those things with them that I did with you?”

Zhai Wangyou’s breathing stopped. For some reason, the long sword in her storage ring was summoned out and gripped tightly in her hand, trembling nonstop.

Xi Zhou lowered her head and held the hand that was gripping the sword. “What? Are you taking out your sword again to threaten me with something?”

Zhai Wangyou shook her head and silently put the sword away.

What was wrong with her? Why had her heart suddenly filled with such hostility, and with so much helplessness?

When she heard those words, let me enter someone else’s dream and do those things with them that I did with you…

Xi Zhou held her hand tightly and said seriously, “Inside the dream or outside it, I only want you. Go tell her. Tell her you’re willing to exchange.”

Those urging words carried an obvious meaning of comfort.

Yet Zhai Wangyou still could not move. Her body seemed nailed to the spot. At this moment, she truly wanted to be a coward…

Seeing that she did not move, Xi Zhou sighed inwardly, but a smile appeared on her face again. “I’ll come back. At worst, I’ll help you break through your cultivation first. Then you can attack the Deacon Hall and snatch me back.”

Zhai Wangyou frowned.

Snatch her back? Would that not be an act of breaking faith?

Her master had taught her not to be someone who betrayed trust and righteousness. But… perhaps she could conceal her identity and go secretly…

Xi Zhou gently hugged her. “Go. Right now, your master’s whereabouts are the most important.”

That was right. Her master’s whereabouts were the most important. Zhai Wangyou thought in a daze, and her feet unconsciously lifted. She pushed open the door and walked out.

“I agree to the exchange.” She spoke without awareness, while deep in her heart, for some reason, she felt a trace of confusion and helplessness.

A flash of joy crossed Qingchuang’s face. Truly, things had taken a turn. It had succeeded!

“As expected, master and disciple share deep affection. I truly envy Elder Beishan for having such a good disciple. Then give me the Dream-Entering Grass.”

She stretched out her hand, but the person before her showed no reaction, as though she had lost her soul.

Zhai Wangyou stared at the hand before her. It was as though a massive stone were pressing down on her body, leaving her unable to move.

Was she a good disciple?

But…

In a daze, she realized that she was unwilling.

Unwilling to exchange…

Qingchuang raised a brow. “I imagine Fairy Wangyou is someone who keeps her word. Could it be that the words have only just left your mouth, and you already wish to go back on them?”

Zhai Wangyou’s heart sank.

That was right. The moment those words left her mouth, she had wanted to take them back…

Seeing the two fall into a silent standoff, Xi Zhou simply transformed into human form and appeared before them.

Zhai Wangyou panicked inwardly. She subconsciously reached out and grabbed Xi Zhou’s sleeve, as though she had grabbed everything she had.

Xi Zhou turned back and patted her hand, then looked at Qingchuang. As expected, this Hall Master of the Deacon Hall was not surprised at all.

“I can go with Senior, but you must wait two days.”

Eldest Senior Sister was at early Nascent Soul. The sect masters of the three great sects, Elder Nanshan, and this Hall Master before them were all at late Nascent Soul. Her chances of winning were far too low. If Xi Zhou could not escape back, and Eldest Senior Sister could not fight her way over, that would not do.

Qingchuang stared at the woman who had suddenly appeared and raised her brows. “I can afford to wait, but I’m afraid Elder Beishan cannot. So you had better come with me immediately, lest something else happen to Elder Beishan.”

Delay would bring change. She would not agree to extra requests. She had to obtain this grass first.

Xi Zhou frowned, then turned to look at Zhai [bailiantales.com]Wangyou, who said nothing. Silently, she returned to the grass.

The Dream-Entering Grass on Zhai Wangyou’s left wrist loosened. Its whole body unfurled and jumped to a spot only one step away from Qingchuang, as though saying, I’m here. Now tell Eldest Senior Sister the information.

Qingchuang suppressed the excitement in her heart and touched the storage ring on her finger. “As the Hall Master of the Deacon Hall, I still have at least this much credibility. You can come over without worry.”

Xi Zhou hesitated. Her leaves drooped, and she slowly moved forward.

“Wait.”

A light shout rang out, making the Dream-Entering Grass stop in place. Qingchuang narrowed her eyes.

But Zhai Wangyou lowered her eyelashes and said nothing more, as though that shout just now had been an illusion.

Qingchuang snorted coldly. “What is Fairy Wangyou doing? One should be decisive.”

Xi Zhou looked back at Zhai Wangyou, but she could not see what emotions were hidden beneath those lowered lashes. For some reason, her heart felt sour. Did Eldest Senior Sister also feel a trace of reluctance? Or perhaps she was thinking about breaking through her cultivation…

Xi Zhou jumped back again and wrapped herself around Zhai Wangyou’s wrist. Then she transformed into human form and [unauthorized copy]said to Qingchuang, “I’ll have to trouble Senior to wait outside for fifteen minutes. Surely you can wait for that short amount of time?”

After speaking, she ignored Qingchuang and directly took Zhai Wangyou’s hand, returning to the inner room. The door closed tightly once more.

“Close your eyes.”

Zhai Wangyou understood something from her urgent voice, but she did not obey.

She let go of her hand and said softly, “There is no need. I have no desire…”

Before she could finish, her vision turned white. She opened her eyes and looked at the person right before her.

Had she been forced into a dream?

“I don’t have the desire for intimacy either, but every time we enter a dream, your cultivation breaks through. So I want to try. I want to try and see whether I can help you.”

As she spoke in a low voice, she reached out and held Zhai Wangyou in her arms. Lowering her head, she kissed those beautiful brows and eyes, the tip of her nose, the corner of her lips…

Xi Zhou did not know how many times she kissed her. She only knew that she was kissing her with all the tenderness she could give, until their breaths grew hot and a fine layer of sweat appeared on both their brows.

She released her embrace and came out of the dream. Her voice was hoarse. “Did it work?”

Zhai Wangyou lifted her eyes. It was as though the only person in them was the one before her.

“It worked, but I did not break through.”

“Then again.”

In the blink of an eye, they entered the dream together once more.

“Eldest Senior Sister, if I don’t return for a long time, will you come find me?”

“Mm.”

“All right. I’ll find a way to come back as soon as possible.”

“Mm.”

Outside, the autumn wind swept yellow leaves up and down, tangling them over and over. The wind did not stop, and the leaves did not rest.

“It’s enough…”

A murmur sounded, and the two held each other tightly.

Xi Zhou calmed her breathing.

Sure enough, when anything was done to achieve a certain goal, it would lose its romance.

She thought this somewhat dazedly.

Author’s Note:

Grass: We only kissed a few times…