Gently helping Yang Kai dress, Su Yan's flushed face bore a faint nervous smile. She was truly afraid. Yang Kai had become like a tireless beast, ferociously seeking her embrace, leaving her soft and weak time again and again. She worried that if she didn't dress him quickly, she'd never escape his relentless passion.
Once clothed, they held each other, lying on the stone bed in the secluded cave by the Coiling Dragon Stream. No words of love were needed; their hearts spoke clearly of their affection. Yet questions lingered, demanding answers after their night of unrestrained passion. Su Yan stirred, her voice soft but firm. "Who are those girls you came with?"
Yang Kai's hand paused in her hair, his unease surfacing. He sighed, sitting up slightly to meet her gaze. "Mo Yanyu, Mu Yu Die, and Di Yalan," he began, his tone steady but cautious. "We met in the jungle months ago. Mu Yu Die was being hunted by the Assassin Pavilion, and I couldn't leave her to die. Di Yalan joined us, a bodyguard of Mu Yu Die with nowhere else to go. Mo Yanyu…" He hesitated, guilt flickering in his eyes. "She was from the Red Cloud Sect,They've been with me since."
Su Yan listened attentively, her expression soft like a loving wife, though a shadow of jealousy lingered in her eyes. She noted his discomfort, the weight of his words about Mo Yanyu. "Are they our… new sisters?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Yang Kai's shyly, "Let's not mention it," his tone gentle but evasive.
Su Yan saw his unease and chose not to probe further, though her heart ached with unspoken questions.
"There's a more pressing matter at hand," she said, shifting the topic. "Your speculation came true."
"What speculation?" Yang Kai asked, running his fingers through her hair, savoring the tranquility after their storm of passion.
"A few months ago, didn't you say the Heaven's Cave Inheritance would cause a great stir?"
Yang Kai frowned, sitting up fully. "Have outsiders already come?"
"Yes," Su Yan replied, her voice grave. "The Eight Great Families haven't sent anyone, but other families and sects heard about the Inheritance's appearance and dispatched experts here. They're trying to win over disciples from the Three Sects who gained opportunities in the Inheritance—High Heaven Pavilion, Bloody Battle Gang, and Storm Hall. Many disciples have been snatched away these past months."
"Which forces are at High Heaven Pavilion?" Yang Kai asked, a lingering doubt clearing in his mind. The unfamiliar Divine Senses that probed him the night he returned must belong to these visiting masters.
"Xuan Province Dong Family, Yun Province Bai Family, and Quan Province Purple Fern Valley are the big ones," Su Yan said. "There are also smaller forces lurking in Black Plum Town."
"Dong Family?" Yang Kai's brow twitched.
He hadn't explored his family's origins deeply, feeling no need to dwell on them, but the name stirred something fleeting. He pushed it aside, focusing on the present.
"What do they want?"
"To recruit or control those with Inheritance gains," Su Yan said. "The Heaven's Cave holds secret techniques, treasures, and power. They're here to claim a share."
"What benefits did they offer you?" Yang Kai asked.
Su Yan was the true leader of the Three Sect's younger generation disciples, and was also the biggest suspect for who had obtained the inheritance of Heaven's Cave Inheritance. Those visiting three great forces would be desperate to grab Su Yan, and the gifts they presented would obviously not be cheap.
"Within two years they guaranteed I will break through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, any pills or artifacts in their possession would be freely offered, and my status would be equal to an Elder!"
"Truly generous!" Yang Kai smiled, "In return?"
"I must marry in," she replied, her tone flat but firm.
"Oh really…" His eyes narrowed, a spark of anger flaring within.
"I refused," Su Yan said quickly, embracing him like a spoiled child, her arms tightening around his waist.
"Although they suspect that I received the inheritance, but they have no conclusive evidence, so the pressure is not that great. It's just these days some representatives have been living inside High Heaven Pavilion."
"Those three great forces have sent their young masters?" Yang Kai sneered, to chase a beauty, naturally their favored sons had to come forward to win her heart, but all these forces' calculations were clearly a wasted effort. Su Yan had long since been his woman, and they were also involved in an inseparable relationship. However, even if they had not been involved together, with Su Yan's personality, she would never have agreed anyways.
Ice Heart Secret Art emphasized that nothing would disturb one's heart, how could these cheap benefits possibly move her.
"En." Su Yan nodded as she brushed Yang Kai's cheek, "You do not have to worry, I will forever be only yours."
"I was never worried." Yang Kai grinned, "I know if they want to move you, they must have used some underhanded means to do so."
However, after a moment of silence, Yang Kai still frowned, "Even so, it is intolerable. Damn! They dare have ideas about my woman!"
Su Yan smiled her heart unable to suppress some sweet fluttering.
Even for someone as calm and poised as her, seeing Yang Kai jealous still let her feel a burst of happiness.
-----------------
"We should meet the sisters," she murmured after a time, pulling back slightly, though her hand lingered in his. "They're waiting."
Yang Kai nodded, his heart sinking as he thought of Mo Yanyu, Mu Yu Die, and Di Yalan outside. "Let's go," he said, steeling himself.
They stepped out, the cave's chill replaced by the oppressive heat of the Coiling Dragon Stream. The sisters stood scattered near the entrance—Mu Yu Die perched on a rock, her zither idle; Di Yalan leaning against a tree, her arms crossed; and Mo Yanyu pacing, her dark eyes stormy.
Su Yan's demeanor shifted as they emerged, her warmth vanishing behind a veil of icy authority. She stood tall, her beauty untouchable once more, her gaze sweeping over the girls with the detached grace of a leader. To them, she was a figure of awe and distance, her Ice Heart Secret Art rendering her unapproachable.
Mo Yanyu's hands clenched into fists, her chest tightening with anguish as she watched Yang Kai at Su Yan's side. She stormed forward, her voice cutting through the silence. "Yang Kai, you bastard! You dare leave me here like this?"
Yang Kai froze "Mo Yanyu, I—"
Di Yalan smirked, her tone biting. "Swapped old love for new, huh?"
Su Yan's eyes narrowed; though she said nothing, her presence was a quiet reprimand. Yang Kai took a step toward Mo Yanyu, his hands raised in peace. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice low and sincere. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But when I saw Su Yan…" He glanced at her, his expression softening. "I couldn't control myself. She's endured so much loneliness while I was gone. I had to be with her."
Mo Yanyu's anger wavered, exhaled shakily, her shoulders slumping. "Fine," she muttered, turning away. "Just… don't do it again."