Chapter 93: What Kind of Reward Would You Like from Senior Sister?

He Yimo had intended to feign distress, but he didn’t expect Mo Yuyan to be so affected, suddenly pulling him into a tight embrace. Despite having played for over a thousand hours in his past life, He Yimo had never dared to hope that the aloof and invincible Senior Sister Mo from the original story would hold him so closely.

What’s going on?

Why does it feel like Senior Sister’s affection has risen another level?

“Senior Sister…” He Yimo called out softly, flattered yet puzzled.

He saw more and more cultivators and elders noticing the scene, and his heart, already fluttering against Senior Sister’s ample chest, beat even faster. He swallowed hard, his hands moving restlessly, carefully lifting to pat her back in a comforting gesture. He feared his actions might startle Mo Yuyan but couldn’t resist the urge to hold the immortal in his arms, to feel the fullness of embracing a goddess…

After all, this was a plot he had never dared to dream of in two lifetimes.

If he had known that Mo Yuyan wasn’t as aloof and her affection was this easy to raise, he wouldn’t have sent Wangxue to save her earlier. What was the point of worrying about the leftovers from Gu Wanglan? Next time, he’d directly save the beauty himself!

“Senior Sister, I’m fine,” He Yimo said gently after a while.

Hearing this, the immortal in his arms trembled, as if waking from a trance, and slowly opened her ice-blue eyes. She parted from He Yimo, her gaze under the moonlight so tender it was intoxicating.

“Yes, as long as you’re fine…” Mo Yuyan trailed off, finally nodding, ending with a simple sentence.

She had wanted to say thank you. Earlier, when she overheard Mu Yanran and Wangxue’s conversation, she had realized that when she told Wangxue to take He Yimo away first, he had turned back upon hearing the explosion, worried for her safety. Later, when He Yimo saw Mo Yuyan struggling against the annihilation breath, he had Wangxue step in to block the fatal blow.

Yet, Mo Yuyan only realized this long after the battle.

Preoccupied with her injuries and the fight with Gu Wanglan, she had taken He Yimo and Wangxue’s timely appearance for granted, thinking her survival was due to her own toughness, not considering who had been worrying and secretly helping her in her moment of crisis.

Despite He Yimo’s efforts, Mo Yuyan had remained oblivious, later even scolding him for crying. Why had he cried while holding her? Was it truly because he was weak? No, it was because he had been worried about her all along!

Thinking of this, Mo Yuyan bit her lip again, words failing her. She wasn’t humorless; she just felt that since she had already thanked him once for the treatment, the life-saving grace couldn’t be equated with mere healing. She didn’t want to repeat the same words.

Recalling the reward she had promised He Yimo, Mo Yuyan felt moved. There had to be a better way to express her gratitude than a simple thank you.

“Senior Sister, why are your eyes a bit red?” He Yimo suddenly asked.

His voice was soft, not meant for others to hear, but it struck Mo Yuyan’s guilty conscience. She blinked, raising her sword to use its reflection as a mirror. The image showed a disheveled and somewhat haggard immortal, the redness at the corners of her eyes only adding to her melancholic beauty.

“…”

Mo Yuyan fell silent for a moment.

She hadn’t expected that since her family was annihilated when she was nine, she would ever shed tears for someone else again.

“It’s because you left me to chase Gu Wanglan alone into the mountains,” Mo Yuyan replied, exhaling in resignation, a hint of complaint in her voice.

At that time, she had been truly frightened by He Yimo’s murderous gaze, his smiling farewell, and his departing back, reminiscent of her father and clan facing the heavenly fire alone when she was nine.

The overlapping memories made her head buzz and her heart ache uncontrollably, fearing He Yimo would never return.

Fortunately, He Yimo was more reliable than her father. At least he didn’t lie, promising to return and then never coming home to see Mo Yuyan.

“Sorry, I didn’t think Senior Sister would worry about me so much,” He Yimo said, sounding apologetic, but his eyes betrayed his surprise and curiosity.

In the original story, he had seen Mo Yuyan cry once when Mu Yanran fell to protect her. He never thought he would be fortunate enough to experience it himself, even if it was under such circumstances.

To Mo Yuyan, without He Yimo’s clear understanding of the battlefield, not knowing He Yimo’s hidden strength or the remaining power of Gu Wanglan, she had genuinely feared for He Yimo’s life.

But even with this explanation, He Yimo still felt Mo Yuyan was very different from the original story. Could it be that Mo Yuyan was actually quite vulnerable inside? In the original story, she only cried for Mu Yanran because there was no one else she truly cared about?

“To put it that way… have I already entered Senior Sister’s heart?” He Yimo thought, muttering to himself.

Beside him, the White-Robed Kensei glanced back at him. By now, they had left the back mountain with the group, and the redness around Mo Yuyan’s eyes had mostly faded. Her emotions had settled back to their usual calm.

“If coming to Wuji Sect was truly about entering my heart… then congratulations, you’re halfway there,” Mo Yuyan replied coolly, giving He Yimo a response he hadn’t expected.

He Yimo shuddered, realizing that Mo Yuyan had heard his thoughts. Unsure of how to respond, he simply stared at her.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you say that you came to Wuji Sect because you craved my body, and that your life would be meaningless if I died?” Mo Yuyan added, seemingly out of nowhere.

He Yimo felt even more embarrassed. He had spoken those words on a whim, never expecting Mo Yuyan to remember them so clearly. The words weren’t particularly shameful to him, but hearing Mo Yuyan say them out loud…

“Blushing?” Under the moonlight, the White-Robed Kensei smiled faintly. Though there was no romantic undertone, her attitude towards his “craving” had shifted from disgust to indulgence. After all, she was seven or eight years older than him, seeing him more as a foolish, infatuated younger brother.

“Blushing means that what you said was sincere, doesn’t it?” she teased.

“Senior Sister, how could I… I was just joking…” He Yimo muttered, hands behind his back as they walked away from the crowd along a mountain path towards Soot-Stained Peak.

Suddenly, Mo Yuyan reached out and took his hand.

He Yimo tensed, his gulp audible in the quiet night.

“If it was a joke, why did you leave tears on my face?” Mo Yuyan asked, still holding his hand as they strolled under the moon.

She could have flown back to Soot-Stained Peak on her sword but chose to walk with He Yimo instead.

“Senior Sister, stop teasing me…” He Yimo said, his face red.

This felt strange. If it were Yun Jin or Jiang Jinyue teasing him, he could remain unfazed, but when Mo Yuyan did it, even the slightest hint of flirtation made his heart race.

Mo Yuyan glanced at him, observing his flushed expression with a mix of surprise and rational caution. A faint blush colored her cheeks, but in the dim light, it went unnoticed by He Yimo.

“…”

At some point, Mo Yuyan released his hand. She stopped and looked at him seriously.

“He Yimo,” she began, pausing to choose her words. “You will grow from this experience. I wish you success in your cultivation one day.”

***

3:00 AM, Soot-Stained Peak, rear courtyard, hot spring.

The White-Robed Kensei stood outside the bathroom door, holding a bath towel, her gaze icy as she watched the shadow of the undressing boy through the door. She bit her lip, her usually aloof expression wavering. She was trying to see him as a younger brother, not a vigorous young man, but the image of his well-proportioned, muscular body, his handsome face, and his increasingly sharp, sometimes murderous gaze made her inwardly conflicted, feeling as if she was deceiving herself.

“Senior Sister—?” At some point, the boy in the bath seemed to notice the immortal’s shadow.

For a moment, Mo Yuyan snapped out of her thoughts. She blinked, sighed softly, and her eyes returned to their usual coolness.

“The bath towel is at the door. Dry yourself when you’re done. Afterward, join me in the courtyard for a game of Go. You can think about what reward you’d like in the meantime.”

Her words were calm, but the boy behind the door immediately responded, “It’s been a while since I had my back scrubbed; it’s a bit itchy. For the reward, could Senior Sister scrub my back?”

“?!”