Chapter 82: Do Not Reach Out; Those Who Do Shall Be Caught

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Somewhere in the Black Venom Swamp of the Pestilence Demon Mountain.
A figure clad in a red robe darted swiftly through the air, following a blood-red pointer suspended midair.
The pointer faintly indicated a direction, growing steadily brighter with the passage of time.
At last, the figure halted, eyes tracing the pointer’s direction to a seemingly ordinary patch of marshland.
“A country bumpkin is just a country bumpkin—losing to a few lowly novices, how laughable!”
The red-robed woman, Yan Qing, curled her lips in a lazy sneer, her slender hand flicking delicately.
The swamp churned, and from the mud surfaced a polished bone inscribed with rough, hastily carved characters.
“Oh? Someone even erected a monument for you.”
Yun Tianxin chuckled mockingly, eyes sharp and filled with sarcasm, urging his inner energy to penetrate deeper into the swamp.
The muck parted on its own, revealing skeletal remains stripped of flesh beneath.
Thanks to the powerful microbes thriving in the swamp, the flesh had been devoured at an astonishing rate.
Yan Qing’s laughter resumed, as if recalling something amusing:
“Ridiculous. Master always praised your strength, claiming it rivaled mine, but it seems even Master can be mistaken.”
As she spoke, her cheeks puffed slightly, and her rouged face twitched with a coquettish charm; her tongue traced her lips, adding a teasing allure to her pitiful expression.
“Such a pity about that blue-furred mutant—I was rather fond of it myself!”
Suddenly, her large, affectionate eyes narrowed in disbelief, as if witnessing something impossible.
Her cherry-red mouth hung open for a long moment, forgotten to close.
“How could it be so?”
...
On a modest hill near the Pestilence Demon Mountain, Yang Hezun gazed skyward, regulating his breath.
His elegant garments were stained with blood in several places and torn, his once haughty expression now subdued. Yet with the aid of precious elixirs, his aura was slowly but steadily recovering.
A ripple of spiritual energy flickered overhead, and the figure of an elderly man gradually took shape.
The Marquis Yunshan descended gently, like a feather drifting without a sound.
Such subtlety bespoke his profound martial cultivation.
Yang Hezun immediately ceased his breathing exercises and hurried forward to salute:
“Father, what of Yun Tianxin? She is one of the royal family’s prime assassination targets.”
The Marquis Yunshan’s face tightened, wrinkles deepening as he pondered for a moment before speaking in a slow, aged voice:
“No matter. Though she escaped by a hair’s breadth, in her current chaotic state, whether she can return to Yunhai Sect remains uncertain.”

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Yang Hezun’s face flushed with surprise, stammering out:
“But the royal family offers a hefty reward for Yun Tianxin’s life—letting her go would...”
The Marquis Yunshan frowned in displeasure, sweeping his sleeve to cut him off, and asked sternly:
“Are you questioning my judgment?”
Frightened, Yang Hezun dropped to his knees without hesitation, bowing his head and trembling as he replied:
“Son, son dares not!”
Seeing his eldest son cower before him, the Marquis’s expression shifted to one of disappointment. He sighed deeply and waved his sleeve.
A gentle gust of wind lifted Yang Hezun from his kneeling posture, the force pushing him back several steps.
After sighing again, the Marquis fixed his gaze on the still-bowed Yang Hezun and said helplessly:
“Perhaps I have been too severe, nurturing you into this state. Besides mastering the nobility and restraint I exhibited in my youth, you have learned nothing else.”
As if recalling something, the Marquis coughed thrice in frustration before roaring:
“You are the heir of the Yunshan Marquisate. Who taught you to kneel so readily?”
Sensing the strong disapproval in his father’s tone, Yang Hezun struggled to stand upright, too intimidated to speak, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
The Marquis sighed once more, turning his head aside. After a long pause, he could not suppress his anger and retorted:
“Do you think I do not desire that reward?”
“If I had more than eighty percent confidence, would I not pursue her?”
“Must I openly admit that I may not be able to overcome the one who has since strayed from the righteous path, Yun Tianxin?”
After a moment, his fury abated, and he stared sharply into the distant forest, his gaze piercing the mist.
The dusk sunlight filtered through the haze, casting blood-tinged yellow hues upon his aged face and furrowed brows.
“No matter what, the Eastern Yi Academy will never accept such a person. Our Yuyang Kingdom need not worry.”
Finally, the Marquis turned to Yang Hezun, his eyes softening as he spoke slowly:
“Alas, with an eldest son like you, I must swallow my pride and petition His Majesty to grant you a place to study the Three Yang True Energy.”
“Thank you, Father!”
Yang Hezun’s stiffened body lit up with joy as he bowed again.
...
Northeast of Pestilence Demon Mountain, amid waist-high shrubs, Chen Qizheng carried Yun Tianxin over his shoulder, carefully forging ahead. Thick grass roots snapped off as they brushed against the blood energy Chen Qizheng emitted.
Yunhai Sect lay northwest of the mountain, but to avoid potential ambushes, Chen Qizheng had decisively chosen a northeast route, planning a wide detour.
He was enduring unbearable torment, his expression pained. This was not a physical challenge from carrying a woman, but a trial of the spirit that had defeated countless heroes.
Yun Tianxin seemed indifferent to the burden she imposed, continuously moving her cherry-red lips. Her pearly teeth grazed Chen Qizheng’s neck, leaving a trail of faint bite marks.

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Within the bite marks lingered a trace of crystalline saliva, shimmering transparently in the sunset’s glow, almost dreamlike.
Unbeknownst to them, because Chen Qizheng’s neck muscles were tensed in preparation, the seemingly fierce nibbling only caused a tingling sensation. Paired with Yun Tianxin’s moist breaths against his skin, a simmering heat gradually spread down his spine, permeating his entire body.
The beast named “desire” seemed to be breaking free from its cage.
Moreover, the exquisite fragrance radiating from Yun Tianxin’s body seeped into Chen Qizheng’s heart, eroding the scant rationality he had left, making his breaths grow heavy.
Who could withstand such torment? For the inexperienced Chen Qizheng, the damage was multiplied manyfold.
“Smack!”
Suddenly, Yun Tianxin’s long, slender leg kicked restlessly, sending one pale green shoe flying and revealing a delicate, refined foot.
“Damn it!”
Chen Qizheng, seeing her mischief, grew bold. He bent to retrieve the shoe with his left hand, then reached out to grasp that masterpiece of a foot, eager to savor the earthly delight.
“Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm!”
Just as his fingers parted to press the arch, before he could explore with his palm, Yun Tianxin’s crisp cough rang unexpectedly in his ear.
Caught red-handed, Chen Qizheng’s left hand froze on her tender sole, unable to advance or retreat.
Clinging to a sliver of hope, he glanced sideways, only to see the sight he dreaded most—Yun Tianxin’s eyes had returned to normal, wide and glistening, seemingly uncomprehending of the moment.
After enduring so long, only to be caught before experiencing the coveted touch, Chen Qizheng’s embarrassment was akin to snow in June—deeply mortifying.
The scene grew still, the mountain breeze adding a desolate chill, mirroring Chen Qizheng’s cold, silent heart.
Having watched countless TV dramas, Chen Qizheng was the first to recover, weakly explaining:
“Sister, your foot kept moving just now. I was trying to see if I could make it still...”
No sooner had he spoken than, as if possessed, he tickled Yun Tianxin’s sole, causing her beautiful foot to twitch backward.
Whether convinced by his excuse or not, Yun Tianxin blushed and replied softly, her voice as delicate as a mosquito’s hum:
“Um... junior brother, could you please, hmm, fetch my shoe?”
Relieved, Chen Qizheng bent to retrieve the shoe.
But the sudden shift in his center of gravity caught Yun Tianxin off guard; their heads collided in the process.
“Ouch, junior brother, your head is so hard!”
Yun Tianxin finally broke the tension with a gentle complaint in her unique tender tone.
Upon hearing this, Chen Qizheng’s mind inexplicably conjured a strange thought:
“My other head is even harder!”