First he had stumbled upon Su Yan in the Ancestral Domain, then returned to the Dark Star to quell the unrest, then went to Emperor Star to lend Shan Qingluo a hand. Now the Tongxuan Continent had finally been settled as well.
Everyone close to him was safe and sound. That was the greatest happiness. Everything else could be dealt with in time.
Xia Ningshang had endured years of torment, all while maintaining the Nine Heavens Holy Land's protective barrier. Whenever Xue Yue and the others ventured out to harry the Great Desolation Star Domain cultivators, she had to divide her attention to look after them as well. In all those years, she had never truly rested.
Now that the crisis had been eliminated and Yang Kai had returned, she nestled against him and quickly drifted off to sleep.
With her current cultivation, she no longer needed sleep to replenish her spirit. Yet she still sank into the most ordinary slumber, her expression peaceful, her body curled up beside Yang Kai. Some unknown dream must have found her, because a faint smile graced her lips.
Xue Yue lay on Yang Kai's other side. The two of them quietly circulated their spiritual senses to converse, sharing stories of the years they had spent apart.
********, a delicate fragrance wafting past his nose. Yang Kai had no impure intentions, yet he still couldn't help leaning toward Xue Yue's red lips.
Xue Yue reached up and pressed a finger against his mouth, her voice soft and reproachful. "Don't even think about touching me until Ningshang's problem is solved!"
The Tongxuan Continent might have been pacified, and every Great Desolation Star Domain cultivator who had come to cause trouble had been cut down, but the damage Xia Ningshang had suffered could not be so easily erased. Even though Yang Kai had used the Tree of Unaging to restore her vitality and had broken the Eight Desolations Spirit-Locking Formation, as long as the Tongxuan Continent did not recover, Xia Ningshang could not return to her former self.
Yang Kai scratched his head. "That'll take decades, maybe a hundred years. Can you really wait that long?"
Xue Yue gave a little humph. "I don't mind waiting. I'm just afraid you can't."
"You underestimate me!" Yang Kai puckered his lips. He had been in the Star Boundary for quite a few years now, and if not for that wild encounter with Zhu Qing, he would likely have remained chaste to this day. He was no saint — beauty could stir his heart — but he would never abandon his principles to chase after every pretty face.
Xue Yue added, "And you're not allowed to touch Elder Sister or A-Luo either!"
Yang Kai's face fell at once. "Why must you be so cruel?"
Truly, a woman's heart was the deadliest poison! He had four women by his side. If none of them would let him touch them, what joy would life hold? The martial path was not only about the glory of Cultivation.
If Xue Yue conspired with Su Yan and Shan Qingluo, she could very well convince them — no, she would definitely convince them.
Xue Yue snuggled deeper into Yang Kai's embrace and said in a coquettish voice, "Ningshang is like this entirely because of me. Until her problem is resolved, I won't be at ease. Husband, please, think of something to help Ningshang recover quickly."
Yang Kai reached over and pinched her nose. "Say 'please' one more time and I'll take you right here."
Xue Yue spat playfully.
Yang Kai lifted her chin with a finger. "Ningshang won't blame you, and you shouldn't blame yourself. If she had been in your position, she would have made the same choice you did. Likewise, you would never blame her for it."
"But…"
"No buts." Yang Kai smiled gently, then ruffled her hair. "Though I'll admit, you've given me quite the puzzle." Solving Xia Ningshang's problem was no simple matter, but even without Xue Yue's words, he had already intended to tackle it.
Decades, even a century — far too long for both him and Xia Ningshang. Neither of them could afford to wait.
"Husband, you don't have a solution either?" Xue Yue's expression turned dejected.
"Let me think…" Yang Kai mused. "Ah — I've got it."
A look of delighted surprise appeared on Xue Yue's face as she gazed up at him.
"If I do it well, is there a reward?" Yang Kai asked with a grin.
A faint blush colored Xue Yue's cheeks. She lowered her head and murmured, "You and your crooked ideas. Ningshang is your woman — why would you come to me for a reward? That makes no sense." She pouted. "Fine. What reward do you want?"
Yang Kai reached out and tapped her crimson lips.
Xue Yue shot him a glare, but she straightened up on her own and leaned down, pressing her lips to his.
After a bout of passionate kissing, both breathing hard, Xue Yue suddenly reached out and stopped Yang Kai's roving hand from slipping beneath her clothes, slowly shaking her head. Xia Ningshang was still asleep right beside them — how could she be so bold?
Yang Kai didn't push the matter. He knew she wasn't really in the mood, so he withdrew his hand, pulled her into his embrace, and savored the moment of peace.
Xia Ningshang slept for a full five days before finally stirring. When she opened her eyes to find Yang Kai still sitting beside her, maintaining exactly the same position he had been in when she fell asleep — as though he hadn't moved at all these past days — her heart ached with tenderness and a twinge of guilt.
After five days of rest, her spirit had improved somewhat, but the underlying problem remained unresolved. Two auras — one green, one black — still twined around her body, though the green clearly held the upper hand. Given a bit more time, the black energy would dissipate entirely.
Her own condition was not cause for great concern. The only thing that truly needed attention now was the Tongxuan Continent.
Over these past few days, however, Yang Kai had already thought the matter through thoroughly. He had his plan.
The reason he hadn't acted immediately was simply that he wanted to wait for her to wake up — so she wouldn't open her eyes to an empty space and be disappointed again.