Watching the Mountain

The affairs of the world often develop in the opposite direction of what one hopes.

Such was the case for Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge, who wished for their affair to remain undiscovered.

After being successively stumbled upon by Xu Ran and the Little Witch, Ye Qingxue, their secret was exposed once again just a few days later.

And this time, the one who caught them was Deceitful Blade Chen Chang’an.

As the competition progressed, it wouldn’t be long before Chen Chang’an had to face Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge.

He had no guarantee of victory against the two of them, but he was unwilling to lose. Therefore, if he couldn’t defeat them by the end, he might choose to fight to the death.

Before that, he planned to first improve the combat skills of Xu Ran, who had been entrusted to him by Senior Brother Ye Shan.

And then, he came across Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge, who were being affectionately intimate with each other.

However, after their previous experiences, the couple’s mental fortitude had greatly improved, and they didn’t have any extreme reactions.

Xu Ran was also quite speechless regarding Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge. ’Why can’t this little couple ever learn their lesson?’

’They’ve already been caught by me and the Little Witch one after another, yet they still come here every day. What’s so hard about holding back for a bit?’

At this moment, however, Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge didn’t feel particularly bothered. In fact, the time after being discovered by Xu Ran and the Little Witch, Ye Qingxue, had been the happiest and most relaxed they had been since getting together. It was far more joyful than when they had to sneak around.

The Little Witch’s earlier comment about being jealous, in particular, filled their hearts with immense happiness and satisfaction.

’So our love isn’t wrong after all. We’ve actually become something people envy.’

This sense of validation was something they had never experienced before.

Of course, this was also related to the fact that Xu Ran and the others were disciples of the Profound Pure Sect.

If the ones who had discovered their secret were the people from the other Sects who had accompanied them this time, then even if those people had sworn a Great Dao Oath, Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge would have never let them leave alive.

The Profound Pure Sect was too far away, and it wasn’t on the same level as their own Sects. It would be difficult for it to get involved in the grudges of the Sects backing them. This distance, both geographical and hierarchical, was why their reaction wasn’t so severe.

Just as Chen Chang’an was about to voluntarily swear a Great Dao Oath, Zhao Wuyang spoke up and stopped him.

"Wait, Fellow Daoist Chen. I don’t need you to swear a Great Dao Oath. What I want is your promise. That no matter the time, place, or circumstances, you will absolutely not reveal our affair."

Hearing this, Xu Ran looked at Zhao Wuyang in astonishment. He found it rather incredible. After all, Zhao Wuyang was an extremely cautious person.

’For a person like him,’ Xu Ran thought, ’even with ten Great Dao Oaths and all sorts of contracts, he would still feel uneasy and suspicious. So why now, facing Chen Chang’an, does he not only not require a Great Dao Oath, but is fine with just a promise?’

Beside Zhao Wuyang, Liu Yunge also looked at him with some confusion.

Facing his beloved’s confusion, Zhao Wuyang gave him a reassuring look and said:

"Don’t worry, trust my judgment. If I didn’t have at least this much skill in reading people, I wouldn’t have survived until now in the harsh environment of our Demon Dao."

He looked at Chen Chang’an and smiled. "I’ve interacted with Fellow Daoist Chen many times. For someone like him, if it’s just a Great Dao Oath, he would not hesitate to violate it under certain circumstances. After all, a Great Dao Oath is sworn under compulsion."

"But if it’s a promise he makes of his own accord, he would absolutely uphold it, even if it cost him his life."

"On this point, I trust my own judgment. The ability to read people is the skill I rely on to survive. I won’t be wrong."

Facing Zhao Wuyang’s smiling gaze, Chen Chang’an was silent for a moment before solemnly raising his hand to form a Sealing Technique. He said in a deep voice:

"Thank you for your trust, Fellow Daoist Zhao. I promise that I will absolutely not reveal your and Fellow Daoist Liu’s affair to anyone."

After he finished speaking, he then voluntarily swore a Great Dao Oath in front of the two of them.

Zhao Wuyang witnessed this and feigned politeness, saying things like, "There’s no need for that."

’This was all within my expectations,’ he thought. ’Based on my judgment of Chen Chang’an, I knew the man would definitely follow up his promise with a voluntary Great Dao Oath. This was the very reason I had said what I did earlier.’

’When dealing with someone like Chen Chang’an, feigning retreat to advance is the best strategy. Otherwise, how could I possibly make a man with caution etched into his very bones believe in a simple, ethereal promise? No matter how much I trust someone, it would be impossible.’

*

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Since so many people had already found out, Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge felt like they might as well throw caution to the wind. For the next few days, whenever they came over, they also took the initiative to invite Chen Chang’an and the Little Witch, Ye Qingxue, to join them.

In truth, neither Chen Chang’an nor Ye Qingxue was particularly willing to go. However, Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge were so enthusiastic, insisting on dragging them along, saying that discussing the Dao was only interesting when everyone sat down together.

Perhaps because of Ye Qingxue’s presence, Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge behaved with more restraint. They weren’t like the previous days, spreading their saccharine sweetness everywhere and making everyone cringe.

"I have to take care of a child," Ye Qingxue said, resisting the gatherings of the past few days.

Zhao Wuyang and the others looked at her in some surprise. "A child? Is it yours and Sword Dao Ye Shan’s child?"

Ye Qingxue was silent for a moment, then shook her head and replied, "No."