Although Chu Ming left, he didn't go far.
He circled the mountain and felt that the place Xiang Han chose wasn't bad. Apart from the two demonic beasts, there wasn't much danger. Furthermore, the spiritual energy here was abundant and the spiritual herbs aplenty; it was simply ideal for cultivating.
He contemplated for a while before deciding to land on a mountain not too far from Xiang Han.
Lin Shuxue immediately opposed with furrowed brows. "This is the place the elder discovered first. Without his permission, we should not stay here."
Chu Ming didn't agree. "They're staying at the bottom of the cliff while we're on the mountainside, we're not getting into each other's way. Moreover, they can't possibly dominate the whole mountain, can they?"
Once his words fell, a sword suddenly flew through the air like wind piercing through the forest, penetrating the ground in front of Chu Ming's feet.
Chu Ming was shocked by the sudden force heading towards him and his face turned pale. The sword came so quickly that he had no time to react.
If the other person hadn't intended to take his life, he didn't know if he could still be standing here at this time.
Lin Shuxue was also aware of this. Seeing that the other person had no killing intent, she withdrew the hand holding her sword and stood aside as if nothing had happened.
Xiang Han's impression of her improved as he strolled out leisurely, eyes sweeping over Chu Ming. He warned, "I'll say it one last time, if you don't leave, the sword has no eyes."
Chu Ming's face quickly turned from white to blue as he glared at Xiang Han angrily. "Isn't Your Excellency too magnanimous. This mountain is not yours, why should I leave?"
Xiang Han snorted softly. His figure suddenly appeared beside the sword and in the next moment, he raised the sword horizontally. Before Chu Ming could see his movements, he felt a chill on his neck, and then, pain struck. Warm liquid slowly slid down his neck.
"Because of this," Xiang Han said expressionlessly.
Chu Ming's face turned ugly once more but due to the difference in strength, even though he was angry, he didn't dare to act rashly at this moment.
Lin Shuxue finally spoke up at this time. She stepped forward and said, "Chu Ming is young and rash, I beseech Elder Liu not to mind him, we will leave immediately."
Originally, Chu Ming and Xiang Han were both from Qing Xuan Sect. As an outsider, it was inconvenient for her to speak. However, Chu Ming had given her medicine previously to help stabilize her cultivation, so she still owed him a favor. After some hesitation, she still spoke.
Xiang Han had a good impression of Lin Shuxue, but because of this, he felt that it was a pity for her to be dragged down by Chu Ming. Judging from the situation, the two should not have started anything yet, why not… break them up?
Thinking of this, he retracted his sword and smiled politely at Lin Shuxue, "If that's the case, then I'll leave Elder Lin some face."
Lin Shuxue also smiled in return. "Many thanks."
This time, she didn't wait to drag Chu Ming and Su Yue away, not giving Chu Ming a chance to refuse.
Xiang Han watched them leave, thinking of a plan to destroy the harem.
"They've already left, why is Shizun still staring?" Chen Shu Ze suddenly appeared, his tone sour.
Seeing Xiang Han continue to stare at the distance where they had left, his heart felt extremely unwell. He recalled Xiang Han smiling at the girl and felt even more uncomfortable. "Does Shizun look favourably upon Elder Lin?"
"Yeah." Xiang Han nodded, completely unaware of the despair of a certain person.
Chen Shu Ze hesitated. "But Shijie said that Elder Lin… seems to be pretty close to Chu Ming."
This was his first time talking behind someone's back, so he felt extremely guilty. But recalling Xiang Han's earlier expression, he had no other choice.
Unexpectedly, Xiang Han only made a small sound of acknowledgement before nonchalantly tossing out, "They aren't together yet. Let's work harder, we'll be able to separate them."
These words made Chen Shu Ze's heart freeze.
Separate them? What was Shizun planning to do? He couldn't have fallen for Elder Lin, right?
No, that's impossible!
His heart tightened as he threw himself onto Xiang Han's arm in a panic. "Shizun, you promised me, you promised to wait until I formed my core to be together with me. You can't go against your words and mess around…"
Xiang Han was shocked. "When did I…"
He wanted to say 'when did I mess around' but Chen Shu Ze misunderstood, thinking he was going to say 'when did I promise you?' Thinking about it now, it seemed that Xiang Han truly didn't promise anything back then. He had no more time to care about such things. Instead, he rushed forward to seize Xiang Han's lips.
The moment their lips touched, an indescribable feeling flooded his senses, making his head blank. They both froze; Xiang Han never expected him to actually do it and Chen Shu Ze never expected himself to actually do it.
First, it was shock, then it was followed by trembling excitement. He dared not believe he had actually done the thing he had dreamt of countless times. More importantly, Shizun didn't push him away.
Heart beating rapidly, palms sweating, he couldn't resist pushing his tongue forward as he had dreamt of, to gently lick the other person's lips.
Xiang Han finally reacted at this time, shoving him away and pulling out his Shizun farce. "What are you doing! Who taught you such blasphemous acts?"
Chen Shu Ze avoided the question and returned one instead. "Shizun, do you… like Elder Lin?"
"Nonsense!" Xiang Han immediately rebuked. "Your master only finds it a pity that someone as frank and sincere as Elder Lin is together with Chu Ming. "
Chen Shu Ze still continued to mutter, "She has a high cultivation, is old and wise, it's not like she will suffer a loss. What's there to worry about?"
Ignoring him, Xiang Han simply left him with a side-eye.
Chen Shu Ze rushed to keep up nervously. "Shizun, I haven't explained to you about who taught me those."
"Hm, who taught it to you?" Xiang Han continued to walk forward.
"Ahem," Chen Shu Ze coughed lightly with a red face. "Shizun, these things needn't be taught. When two people are in love and the feeling is mutual, such acts are a course of nature."
"Hehe."
"Shizun, did you feel it just now? I heard that putting the tongue in and playing around is more exciting…"
"Silence!" Xiang Han cut him off with a dark face. "Who did you hear that from?"
"Uh…" Chen Shu Ze was immediately speechless and his gaze became unsteady.
"Speak." Xiang Han squeezed these words from between his teeth.
Chen Shu Ze thought he was angry and immediately lowered his head. He confessed, "This disciple went to the library to borrow a technique on double cultivation."
"Bring it over."
Chen Shu Ze was a little reluctant. It took him a long time to hand over the jade slip.
Xiang Han took the jade slip and glanced at it with his spiritual sense and felt his teeth aching in anger. He always thought that Chen Shu Ze was a pure and innocent little white rabbit. He never expected this white rabbit to have been dirtied a long time ago.
Chen Shu Ze secretly glanced at Xiang Han's expression while handing over the jade slip. When he remembered the contents on it, his face turned red.
After reading the N postures in the jade slip, Xiang Han put it away and solemnly remarked, "Confiscated."
Seeing that Xiang Han only confiscated it and didn't get angry, Chen Shu Ze breathed a sigh of relief. He only dared to ask after some time, "Master, according to the contents, if both parties are at the Golden Core stage or higher, dual cultivation can result in great achievements for both sides. It won't help one at the expense of the other. You said previously that we'll be together after I've formed my golden core, do you mean…"
"NO!" Xiang Han immediately denied and pinched his temples. "Didn't I say not to overthink? Go and continue your training, right now!"
"Oh." Chen Shu Ze was a little disappointed. After taking two slow steps, he turned back and said, "Shizun, you don't need to worry. Although this disciple can't cultivate with you just yet, we can still kiss…"
"Get out of here right now and go train!" Xiang Han threw him out with a palm this time and then thought in despair, this kid can't be thinking that just doing papapa means they were dual cultivating, right?
Although Chen Shu Ze was thrown out, he realised that Xiang Han didn't do anything else to him after the abrupt kiss and he couldn't help but feel more courageous.
From then on, from time to time, he would try to steal kisses, like a chicken pecking at rice. Xiang Han couldn't do anything about him since he had already agreed to get together. Refusing now would only make him seem like he was playing coy.
Although Chen Shu Ze had theoretical knowledge, his actions were a mess. In the end, Xiang Han couldn't take it anymore. He pushed Chen Shu Ze down and kissed him fiercely.
After the kiss, Chen Shu Ze's eyes were bright and he couldn't wait to immediately repeat what Xiang Han had just done. But Xiang Han quickly got up, brushed off the dust from his clothes and pretended to be calm, "Cultivate well, when you…"
"Master, don't worry, the disciple will practice diligently." Chen Shu Ze replied eagerly.
Xiang Han: "…" Who asked you to practice this?
Without Chu Ming, their days were extremely peaceful and borderlining on shamelessness.
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. When Chen Shu Ze left the realm, he was already in the middle realm of the foundation building stage.
During these years, Xiang Han spent his days cultivating, gathering herbs, refining pills, as well as making friends with Lin Shuxue who lived on the neighbouring peak.
The four seasons in the secret realm resembled spring. Regardless of how much time passed, it was impossible to feel the passage of time, but Xiang Han learnt through the system that the secret realm was about to reopen.
Lin Shuxue and Chu Ming still maintained a senior and junior relationship. But after the secret realm reopened, the two would enter the middle realm together and something might happen.
Xiang Han hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he still sent a message to Lin Shuxue, informing her that he was about to break through to the middle realm of the golden core stage, and requested her help.
After Lin Shuxue received the news, she rushed over without hesitation.
When Chen Shu Ze saw this, he became only more disappointed but was also well aware of his own shortcomings. If an accident happened to Xiang Han during this time, he alone may not be able to do anything. But with Lin Shuxue around, it would definitely be safer.
Though he understood this, he couldn't help thinking to himself: If only my cultivation was higher.
But in reality, Xiang Han invited Lin Shuxue over not for the sake of protecting him.
As a person, Lin Shuxue is someone who will keep her promise to the end. If Xiang Han was still breaking through when the secret realm reopened, she would not leave. This way, Chu Ming can only go to the middle realm with Xiao Yue.
Xiang Han calculated it well and succeeded.
When the secret realm opened, Chu Ming came to persuade Lin Shuxue to leave. But Lin Shuxue shook her head and refused when she saw that Xiang Han was still in seclusion.
Chu Ming tried to persuade her several times but failed. In the end, he started to grow annoyed, so he just left with Xiao Yue.
Chen Shu Ze's heart felt very complicated. On the one hand, he was very grateful to Lin Shuxue, but on the other hand, he felt that Lin Shuxue and Xiang Han were too close. One who trusts with all his heart and one who keeps her promises to the end. Meanwhile, he could only watch from the side, quite like an outsider.