After the Dual Cultivation Relationship Ended, the Heroine Panicked! - Chapter 1

In the sect’s plaza, a massive crowd had gathered.

“Xiao Bai, look quickly! Senior Sister Xu Qing has returned!”

Bai Muyao felt her shoulders being gripped and shaken violently by her friend, who was letting out a torrent of excited energy.

Amidst a soft, ethereal light, a figure descended upon the clouds.

She wore white battle robes that, while stained with the dust of combat, only served to highlight her heroic and spirited bearing. The long sword in her hand shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.

The crowd began to stir restlessly, casting looks of deep admiration and reverence toward her.

The name “Xu Qing” was like a star within the sect; every time she returned, it caused a significant sensation.

“Senior Sister Xu Qing has once again performed meritorious service in resisting the Demon Race. She is truly the glory of our sect!”

“Indeed. Not only is her martial prowess exceptional, but she has also saved countless innocent commoners. She is a true hero of this age!”

Praises rang out incessantly. Even the usually stern and humorless elders wore rare expressions of approval.

Amidst the clamor, Bai Muyao appeared unusually calm. She stood at the edge of the crowd, a faint, bitter smile hanging at the corners of her mouth.

Seeing this, her friend asked in confusion, “Xiao Bai, why are you so indifferent? Aren’t you excited at all?”

Bai Muyao’s eyes shifted slightly as she replied, “Lately, I’ve been so poor that my pockets are jingling with nothing but air. How could I be happy?”

“Oh…” Her friend nodded in sudden realization.

At that moment, Xu Qing walked toward the high platform where the elders sat. She gave a respectful salute and began to recount the details of the recent battle against the enemy.

Bai Muyao lowered her head, her gaze falling to the ground.

Seeing Xu Qing return safely brought joy to Bai Muyao’s heart. However, when she realized that after today, they might never meet again… her heart sank into a low valley.

When she looked up again, her gaze unexpectedly met the eyes Xu Qing had cast toward the crowd.

It was only a brief intersection. But Bai Muyao understood the meaning behind it.

“Xiao Bai, it looks like Senior Sister Xu Qing is looking toward us! Is she looking at us?” Her friend excitedly grabbed Bai Muyao’s hand again.

Bai Muyao replied, “It’s likely just your imagination.”

Her friend nodded. “True. How could the two of us ever be worthy of entering Senior Sister Xu Qing’s eyes?”

“Besides, Senior Sister Xu Qing is famously antisocial! Years ago, someone wanted to become her cultivation partner, and they were rejected on the spot!”

That person had also been a genius of the sect, yet Xu Qing had rejected them without hesitation. For a time, it had been a major topic of gossip within the sect.

Bai Muyao nodded in agreement. She knew very well that Xu Qing did not enjoy anyone’s company.

As Xu Qing followed the elders away, the crowd in the plaza gradually dispersed.

Her friend spoke up again: “Xiao Bai! Want to go out for a meal tonight?”

Bai Muyao declined. “No, I have things to attend to tonight.”

Her friend was curious about what business she could possibly have, but Bai Muyao offered only a perfunctory excuse.

This matter was something she could not tell anyone.

After bidding farewell to her friend, Bai Muyao traveled alone to a secluded, lonely mountain.

She navigated through the overgrown forest and arrived at a cave entrance. Tucked away here was an exquisite treehouse.

She walked over and pushed the door open, only to see a person dressed in white sitting inside.

Bai Muyao was slightly startled; she hadn’t expected the other party to arrive so early. She assumed the other woman would be busy with official sect matters.

Hearing the door, the white-clad woman turned her cold eyes toward the entrance.

This second eye contact of the day caused Bai Muyao’s heart to skip two beats. Taking a shallow breath, she smiled and said, “Senior Sister Xu Qing, congratulations on your triumphant return.”

Back at the plaza, that single look had been a signal for her to come here.

Xu Qing, however, appeared indifferent. “The Demon Race was only conducting a feint attack. Their true objective remains unknown; they likely wanted to sneak in spies. I only went to provide support.”

“Sister, you are too modest,” Bai Muyao praised sincerely.

Having not seen each other for three months, the atmosphere between them was inevitably a bit awkward.

Bai Muyao walked over and sat down beside Xu Qing, opening tentatively: “So… are we doing it today?”

Xu Qing gazed intently at Bai Muyao for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Today, they would perform their final “Dual Cultivation.”

This was their secret. If the other disciples of the sect were to find out, it would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar. After all, Xu Qing held a lofty status and was the focus of everyone’s attention. To think she already had a cultivation partner?

But they weren’t partners.

Thirteen years ago, Bai Muyao was a “transparent,” unremarkable disciple. Her Water Spirit Root was extremely chaotic, causing her cultivation to remain stuck at the Qi Refining stage for a long time without a breakthrough.

Just as she felt her future was bleak, a voice rang out in her mind. It called itself a “System.”

It informed Bai Muyao that she was a “supporting female character,” while Xu Qing was the “Protagonist” of this world. Bai Muyao didn’t quite understand terms like protagonist or supporting character.

But one thing she did understand was that the System told her a Great War between Immortals and Demons would occur in a hundred years. In that war, she was fated to die.

Initially, Bai Muyao didn’t believe it, but the System repeatedly predicted future events with perfect accuracy. For instance, that the lean meat bun she bought for lunch would be missing green onions. Or that at the third watch of the night, a bird would chirp exactly three times. It even calculated the exact moment an elder would exit secluded meditation down to the minute.

Thus, Bai Muyao had no choice but to believe. To survive the coming tribulation, she begged the System for a solution.

The solution was to cure Xu Qing’s illness.

Xu Qing was the most talented disciple the sect had seen in ten thousand years, yet she was plagued by a mysterious ailment. Whenever she practiced, she would suffer from splitting headaches and unbearable agony. Only by sheer willpower did she endure the pain to reach her current heights.

The root of Xu Qing’s pain lay in her Fire Spirit Root, which was too pure and too powerful. Because it was so pure, it was difficult to control, leading to her suffering.

By sheer coincidence, Bai Muyao’s chaotic and disorganized Water Spirit Root was the key to soothing Xu Qing’s pain. It acted as a perfect counterbalance to Xu Qing’s overly pure root. Any other Water Spirit Root would not suffice.

In other words, she had to engage in Dual Cultivation with Xu Qing.

Initially, Bai Muyao approached this with a skeptical attitude. Guided by the System, she encountered Xu Qing during a flare-up of her illness. The two engaged in Dual Cultivation for the first time due to an accident.

Xu Qing’s pain was significantly relieved. Meanwhile, nourished by Xu Qing’s pure spiritual energy, Bai Muyao broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage overnight.

Thereafter, they reached a “transaction.” They maintained this secret relationship, each taking what they needed. This treehouse had been built by Xu Qing herself.

Thirteen years passed in a flash.

Tonight was the final night of their “transaction.” After long-term dual cultivation regulation, Xu Qing’s spirit root was on the verge of returning to normal. Bai Muyao had also broken through to the late stage of the Golden Core. Continuing further would yield no additional benefits.

But… Bai Muyao held a secret deep in her heart.

Years ago, she and a thousand other disciples were trapped in the Demon Beast Valley. On that day, it was Xu Qing who saved her along with the others.

To Bai Muyao, Xu Qing was her savior. Perhaps the other woman didn’t remember her, but she had always wanted to repay that debt. Otherwise, had it been anyone else, she would never have agreed to this dual cultivation.

But because it was Xu Qing… because it was to save Senior Sister Xu Qing…

Xu Qing had a lonely personality and kept a layer of distance from everyone. Bai Muyao knew that after this final night, she and Xu Qing would no longer have any connection. She would have repaid the debt of saving her life, and it would be time for her to move on to her own affairs.

The curtain of night fell.

Xu Qing lit a candle and sat by the wooden table, flipping through a scroll. Bai Muyao sat quietly, appearing somewhat dazed.

Before every session, they would fall into a period of silence, as if performing some kind of mental preparation. What Xu Qing did most often was read. Even though they had known each other for thirteen years, they were still like strangers.

This wasn’t surprising; after all, they were just a “transaction.”

Suddenly, Xu Qing closed her scroll and turned her gaze toward Bai Muyao. “Did you go to the sect plaza today?”

The sudden inquiry caught Bai Muyao off guard. After a moment of being stunned, she said, “Yes, I went to join the fun.”

Xu Qing said, “I saw that there was someone else by your side, someone I haven’t seen before.”

She hadn’t expected Xu Qing to notice such things. For a moment, Bai Muyao didn’t know how to respond.

Seeing Bai Muyao’s hesitation, Xu Qing added, “This is your private business. If you don’t wish to, you don’t need to answer me.”

Xu Qing prepared to reopen her scroll and end the conversation.

Bai Muyao spoke up: “It’s fine. I’ve been a bit short on silver lately, so I met Duan Yi while performing sect missions.”

Hearing this, Xu Qing said faintly, “Do you need me to give you some spirit stones?”

“No, no need! I’ve saved up enough money!”

Having been rejected, Xu Qing nodded slightly and said no more. Bai Muyao did not like borrowing things from others; she preferred to save up slowly on her own.

Though this brief exchange was quick, it stirred significant ripples in Bai Muyao’s heart. Usually, she and Xu Qing were people of few words, avoiding communication whenever possible. But tonight, Xu Qing seemed a bit different.

“A recent acquaintance, and she calls her ‘Xiao Bai’…?”

Xu Qing murmured in a low voice that Bai Muyao couldn’t quite hear.

Bai Muyao blinked, looking up to see that Xu Qing had already set down the scroll. “Bai Muyao, let’s begin.”

The night was as dark as ink, and the moonlight was like water, spilling into the quiet wooden house. Every time this happened, Bai Muyao’s cheeks would flush with heat. She lowered her head slightly. “Okay.”

Xu Qing extinguished the candle, slowly stood up, and walked to a corner of the house to retrieve a piece of black cloth from an ancient wooden chest.

Bai Muyao had already moved to the edge of the bed and sat down quietly, her soft hair cascading over her shoulders.

Xu Qing came to her side and asked, “Are you ready?”

Bai Muyao nodded silently.

Xu Qing used the black cloth to cover Bai Muyao’s eyes. This was their custom during dual cultivation. Except for the very first time, Bai Muyao wore this black cloth every single session. Xu Qing had said that she didn’t like others seeing her body. This was a rule established by their “transaction.”

Bai Muyao had no objections. In the darkness, she skillfully untied her own robes. The clothing slid away silently, revealing her snow-white shoulders and skin.

Surrounded by darkness, Bai Muyao could only smell the faint scent of wood. Mingled within that wood was a light, fresh fragrance a familiar yet slightly alien scent.

Whenever they were like this, Bai Muyao would envision Xu Qing’s appearance in her mind. Since she had seen Xu Qing before, she would imagine the Xu Qing she knew was the one touching her.

She felt Xu Qing’s breath brush lightly against her face, getting closer and closer. Finally, a delicate touch came from her shoulder.

Did her fingertips… seem to have become a bit rougher?

Was it because of the recent battles and exhaustion?

Bai Muyao didn’t have time to think further before Xu Qing’s kiss descended. Under this kiss, Bai Muyao felt as though she were sinking into a beautiful dream.

In the path of dual cultivation, both parties must get as close as possible to deeply feel each other’s aura. This facilitates the fusion of spirit roots to achieve the best effect.

However, this time, Bai Muyao felt a sense of abnormality.

In the past, Xu Qing’s kisses were always a bit wooden, and her physical contact seemed casual or indifferent. Even wearing the blindfold, Bai Muyao could sense Xu Qing’s inner reluctance as if she were only doing this to finish the session quickly and rid herself of the pain.

But tonight, Xu Qing’s kiss seemed unusually urgent and irritable. Even the way she caressed her skin carried a few degrees more force.

This change made Bai Muyao feel somewhat unadapted. The Xu Qing of today was truly very strange to her.

Why?

Bai Muyao couldn’t figure it out. But she had to quickly gather her true qi and commit herself to the rhythm of the cultivation. At this moment, she had no room to worry about anything else.

As for Xu Qing, she also felt at a loss regarding her own changes. She only knew that she currently felt an inexplicable irritability. And this emotion was being unconsciously vented upon Bai Muyao.

She didn’t understand the source of this mood.

Was it because while fighting the demons at the border, the image of Bai Muyao whom she hadn’t seen in a long time kept flashing through her mind?

Or was it because upon returning to the sect, she had immediately noticed Bai Muyao standing at the edge of the crowd, yet with a companion by her side?

She couldn’t unravel the thoughts; she only felt an unprecedented level of displeasure!