Chapter 40: Where Are You Placing Your Chess Piece?

“Wangxue, why didn’t you tell me you could fly? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bothered climbing…” He Yimo exclaimed, dangling from the Nine-Colored Deer’s collar mid-air as he watched the mountain path shrink below him.

The Nine-Colored Deer puffed out its chest proudly and gave a haughty snort. Although it only spoke human words when agitated, He Yimo had learned to interpret its various cries. Right now, it was clearly saying: You never asked if I could fly.

“Well, whatever. It’s good for a man to exercise,” He Yimo sighed.

As they approached the summit of Ranmo Peak, He Yimo remembered something important and urged cautiousness: “Hey Wangxue, when we get to the top, listen to me. We need to be quiet when we go inside… I don’t know if Senior Sister is awake yet.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. My Senior Sister is beautiful and kind, but she always has a cold expression. When she gets angry, her eyes are terrifying. If she finds out I stayed out all night, I’ll probably get beaten!”

“Plus, I brought a wild deer home without her permission…”

The more He Yimo described the situation, the more anxious the Nine-Colored Deer’s spiritual eyes became, painting a picture of a fierce tigress residing on Ranmo Peak.

Soon, the Nine-Colored Deer landed with He Yimo in front of the stairs leading to the summit courtyard.

“Shh—” He Yimo tiptoed to the courtyard gate, put a finger to his lips for silence. The Nine-Colored Deer nodded obediently and followed quietly behind him.

Hunched over, the two crept toward the gate and pushed it open cautiously.

Creak—

The harsh grating sound inevitably broke the silence. He Yimo poked his head through the opening, surveyed the area briefly, and gave a forward signal. The Nine-Colored Deer nodded and crawled into the courtyard after him.

“Clack—!”

A sharp sound of a chess piece hitting the board echoed through the quiet air.

He Yimo froze instantly, his face turning pale. But while he stopped, the Nine-Colored Deer behind him continued its charge, ramming its shimmering nine-colored antlers into He Yimo’s back and sending him flying forward.

Splat!

He Yimo spat out a mouthful of dirt as he picked himself up. When he looked up, he found himself staring at a pair of elegant silver high heels with wine-red soles crossed beneath a stone table.

Further up, black silk covered slender legs, and above the knees, the inner thighs were seamlessly wrapped in moon-white, ink-wash patterned fabric. He Yimo recognized the dress—it was the same one Mo Yuyan wore when she danced for him after losing their bet.

“Have you seen enough?” a familiar voice asked from above.

She wasn’t bothered about being exposed, even casually crossing her black silk-clad legs under the skirt. In truth, He Yimo hadn’t seen anything inappropriate; the dress was long enough to cover her knees even while sitting.

“Senior Sister, you’re still up so late,” He Yimo mumbled awkwardly, standing up from under the table and scratching his face.

At the chessboard, the immortal woman sat clad in her ink-wash dress. Her waist-length black hair was adorned with two silver hairpins, intricately woven into a beautiful knot at the back of her head. Holding a black chess piece, her cold eyes remained passive, revealing no emotion.

“The sun is already rising. Is there any point in sleeping?” Mo Yuyan raised an eyebrow, her tone laced with cold sarcasm as she looked at He Yimo.

A chilly mountain breeze swept past, adding a touch of solitary coldness to her beautiful jade-like eyes. Stared down by her, He Yimo didn’t dare make any more playful remarks, feeling like a student caught skipping class.

The overly frosty atmosphere made the nearby Nine-Colored Deer lie down obediently, not daring to make a sound.

Mo Yuyan glanced sideways at the deer before locking her gaze back onto He Yimo’s guilt-ridden face. “Where were you last night?” she asked coolly, deciding to interrogate He Yimo first.

Simultaneously, she placed another white chess piece on the opposite side of the board. Although she didn’t explicitly say it, He Yimo instantly understood her silent command and obediently sat across from her, taking control of the white pieces.

“To be honest, Senior Sister, I got lost in the back mountain last night…” He Yimo hesitated before deciding to reuse the same excuse he’d given Jiang Jinyue.

Hearing this, Mo Yuyan raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Liar,” she scoffed unhappily.

“I’m not…”

“Last night, Yun Jin reported that after showing you around the back mountain, you parted ways at the main hall’s dining area. How could you get lost in the back mountain on the way from the main hall to Ranmo Peak?” Mo Yuyan explained calmly while placing another piece on the board.

Her mind was sharp, and her chess skills seemed to have improved significantly overnight. This time, it was He Yimo who felt nervous, his moves on the board becoming hesitant.

“Senior Sister, Yun Jin probably didn’t tell you—we didn’t part ways at the main hall. It was at the female cultivators’ dormitory in the back mountain…” He Yimo said seriously, frowning slightly.

Upon hearing this, Mo Yuyan, who had been dominating the game, suddenly froze. Even her fingers holding the black piece trembled slightly.

“What were you doing at the female cultivators’ dormitory with Yun Jin?” Mo Yuyan looked up, her eyes filled with even greater suspicion.

Ever since He Yimo entered the courtyard, she had noticed a faint scent of rouge on him. Mo Yuyan guessed that He Yimo’s playboy nature had surfaced again, leading him to spend the night with some unfortunate junior sister in the Wuji Sect.

While it was a matter of mutual consent between adults, Mo Yuyan, despite her disdain for such behavior due to her traditional views on chastity, couldn’t be bothered to interfere. There were plenty of women in the world who chased after power and wealth.

However, now that He Yimo mentioned Yun Jin’s name, Mo Yuyan’s carefully composed expression crumbled. After all, she had personally entrusted He Yimo to Yun Jin last night.

“It was already dark when we were returning. I was worried Senior Sister Yun Jin might be harassed by other new disciples on her way back alone, so I escorted her,” He Yimo explained obediently, noticing the slight lift of Mo Yuyan’s eyebrow.

Under her cold scrutiny, he even sat up straighter, appearing nothing like his usual rakish self. It hadn’t even been three days on Ranmo Peak, yet He Yimo had already been conditioned to confess obediently under Mo Yuyan’s mere glance. It seemed Mo Yuyan had the means to back up her earlier claims.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Yun Jin grew up in a small village. She’s simple-minded and hasn’t seen much of the secular world or powerful figures…” Mo Yuyan closed her eyes and described softly. After a moment of silence, she opened her cold eyes and sighed helplessly. “So, you’d better not make a move on her.”

“Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I prefer… ample assets,” He Yimo nodded firmly, his gaze resolute.

Hearing this, Mo Yuyan initially nodded in relief but soon raised her eyebrows in confusion, seemingly pondering the meaning of “ample assets.”

She noticed He Yimo’s gaze shifting downward and followed it, only to find her view of the lower part of the chessboard partially obstructed by her own generously endowed chest.

Suddenly, understanding dawned on Mo Yuyan. She clenched her jade fists, bit her lip, and glared sharply at He Yimo. But he reacted quickly, immediately focusing his attention back on the chessboard.

At the same time, He Yimo picked up a white piece and leaned forward, extending his hand towards Mo Yuyan’s chest.

“You—!” Mo Yuyan gritted her teeth, her eyes fixed on his hand, growing colder by the second.

However, He Yimo simply placed the white piece on the edge of the board beneath her chest.

Clack!

The crisp sound echoed from beneath Mo Yuyan’s chest. When she looked down, her view was blocked by her bosom. She could barely glimpse the white piece through the narrow gap created by the fabric stretched over her chest.

Before, Mo Yuyan had only vaguely guessed the meaning of “ample assets.” But after He Yimo’s move, she truly understood the profound depth of the term.

Even the usually composed immortal couldn’t help but blush slightly. She wanted to say something but couldn’t find