Chapter 134: Confronting Meng Hongshang - Ah? The Wives I Abandoned Turned Out to Be Real

Chapter 134: Confronting Meng Hongshang Listening to your blunt words, Meng Hongshang lost her composure completely. Even though she is now the widely renowned Peach Blossom Goddess in the Celestial Realm, she was at a loss facing someone as unreasonable as you. It seemed that she lacked the skills to handle such confrontations. You noticed that Meng Hongshang still refused to yield. You then captured her. "Meng Hongshang," "Say you love me!" Under your power, she was as gentle as a lamb, easily manipulated by you. "No!" In the scene, Meng Hongshang’s hands were twisted behind her back, her beautiful eyes wide open, tears streaming down her face... ... ... ... You spent an afternoon in Meng Hongshang’s room, and upon leaving, it still felt like you were dreaming. How could a formidable female celestial be won over just like that? A vague sense of guilt surfaced, but the thought of Nangong Liuli’s image filled you with renewed determination. As long as you could meet the fairy again, everything would be worthwhile. Driven by guilt, you heated a lot of water in the washroom. You hadn’t expected Meng Hongshang to be innocent, which left you feeling both satisfied and as though you had done something outrageous. But the possibility that you might never leave Peach Mountain without such actions diminished your guilt somewhat. After carefully adjusting the water temperature, you brought the tub of hot water into Meng Hongshang’s room. You then began to gently cleanse her smooth, delicate body with a warm towel. At this moment, Meng Hongshang’s hair was disheveled, her eyes were dull, and she lay exhausted on the couch. Upon seeing you, she didn’t drive you away or speak but allowed you to clean her, her thoughts unknown. After removing the bloodstained towel and basin, you knelt by Meng Hongshang’s bed. You started slapping your own face. "I'm sorry!" "What I did was ludicrous!" "Hongshang, you can hit me or scold me." "Even kill me if you wish!" Upon hearing your words, Meng Hongshang turned away, unwilling to look at you. Seeing this, you gently covered her pale figure with a thin blanket, veiling her alluring grace. You remained silent, kneeling there until late at night. Indeed, what you did was wrong. Meng Hongshang dozed off at some point and awoke with a painful moan. Clearly, the harm you caused was not slight. You rushed to her side with concern. Gently caressing her finely sculpted shoulder. Noticing the tear stains at the corner of Meng Hongshang’s eyes filled you with remorse. "Hongshang, are you alright?" Hearing your words of concern, Meng Hongshang buried her face in the pillow, refusing to look at you. You were at a loss. Subsequently, you went to the kitchen to prepare a meal. Since Meng Hongshang had achieved a state of sustenance from wind and dew, there weren't many ingredients in the kitchen—only those she’d procured specifically for you from the outside. You prepared a pot of millet porridge with yam, wild ginseng, red dates, goji berries, lotus seeds, and brown sugar, resulting in a nutritious brew. Despite everything, you still needed to take care of her. When you opened the door, Meng Hongshang, who had been hiding her face in her pillow, had pulled the blanket tightly around herself, her eyes reflecting complex emotions as she gazed at the bed curtains. "Hongshang, I made some millet porridge for you. It's very nourishing." "Come, have some." Saying this, you sat beside her, scooping a spoonful of porridge and offered it to her lips. But she kept her lips sealed, refusing to eat. You pleaded softly. "Hongshang, please, have a little." "I’ve carefully made this for you." "It simmered for an entire hour, and I didn’t leave it unattended even once out of worry it might burn." Upon hearing your words, Meng Hongshang closed her eyes, remaining silent. Seeing no other option, you withdrew temporarily. The next day, you routinely tended to her, wiping her body and changing all the bedding. Meng Hongshang cooperated but remained verbally unresponsive. This routine continued daily, with you always trying new dishes for her, for over a month. Eventually, one day, when you made some brown sugar buns, Meng Hongshang gently opened her mouth to accept a piece. With her lips parting, she offered an evaluation. "Tasty." This was the first word she’d spoken in over a month. You contained your immense joy, maintaining a composed exterior as you fed her the entire brown sugar bun. "Hong... Hongshang, if you like it, I’ll keep making them." "No need." Meng Hongshang’s tone remained indifferent, her expression towards you still unfond. She wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, turning her back, unwilling for you to see any semblance of beauty. You knelt at her bedside. "Hongshang, punish me however you see fit. I know I was wrong before." "I just ask that you talk to me." "I beg you!" Your pleading slightly moved Meng Hongshang, who had spent this month deep in thought. She had carefully considered the words you'd spoken to her before. For they were irrefutable. Her heart slowly inclined toward the truth in your words. Gradually, Meng Hongshang realized that her feelings for her senior brother might just be a young girl's curiosity about the opposite sex. Moreover, being betrothed to him felt like destiny. But it wasn't the love she had always believed it to be. Your month-long attentive care gave Meng Hongshang, who had left home at six to join the sect, a warmth not felt for centuries. Coupled with the previous goodwill you’d accumulated. Unknowingly, she had already accepted you inwardly. Her pride, however, kept her from expressing this, maintaining a façade of cool indifference. Observing this indifferent demeanor. You assumed she hadn't forgiven you and slowly stood up, preparing to leave and return the next day. Seeing you about to leave, Meng Hongshang spoke. "Don’t go!" Hearing Meng Hongshang finally respond, joy flooded your heart as you turned to meet her deep, starlit eyes watching you. Though her tone was still cool, you noticed the absence of the aloof distance she'd once maintained. "Come here." Meng Hongshang gestured for you to sit beside her on the bed. Following her instruction, you sat alongside her, your mind wandering over the graceful curves beneath the elegant blanket. Unwittingly, your feelings for Nangong Liuli had waned. Previously, not even Meng Hongshang’s beauty could divert your attention. But now, not only had you developed feelings, you had impulsively taken things further. Inside, you still believed your true love to be Nangong Liuli. At that moment, Meng Hongshang slowly rose to a sitting position, the thin blanket slipping away, revealing her beautifully sculpted form. She was unperturbed by showing her beauty to you. "Su Mo, I want to ask you something, and I need an honest answer!" Hearing Meng Hongshang’s serious, icy tone, you answered promptly. "Say it, I promise to answer truthfully." After pondering for a while, Meng Hongshang spoke slowly. "You said you like me, is it true?" Hearing Meng Hongshang’s probing tone, you nodded fervently. "I do!" "Hongshang, I like you!" If your heart had segments by percentage, Nangong Liuli occupied ninety percent, while Meng Hongshang now held ten. How could that not be called liking? Thus, your heartfelt words scarcely moved Meng Hongshang. Her ability to sense truth through your soul's essence reassured her you weren't lying. Her greatest fear was you being a heartless man. Now assured of sincerity, her defenses crumbled, and she embraced you warmly, a fragrant scent enveloping you. Just as you were about to get lost in the moment, Meng Hongshang's alluring, sultry voice echoed in your ears. "I want you to swear that if you ever betray me, you will be struck by heavenly thunder and your soul will be obliterated!" "Do you dare?" Your mind, fogged and dazed, left no room for clear thought, and you hastily took the oath as Meng Hongshang demanded. "If I, Su Mo, ever betray Meng Hongshang, may heavenly thunder strike me down and obliterate my soul!" As your oath finished, a low rumble of thunder echoed faintly from outside the house. Hearing the thunder, you felt a vague sense of unease—how could this happen right after your words? Witnessing your unwavering resolve, Meng Hongshang's defenses against you crumbled entirely. She pulled you onto the soft couch, whispering sweet nothings, her voice brushing against your ears. "Su Mo, my lord, from now on, I belong to you." How could you possibly hold back then? ... In the scene, Meng Hongshang was unable to think, her eyes rolling back, her tender heart utterly shaken... ... Since you possessed the strength of nine oxen and two tigers, fatigue was nonexistent. And Meng Hongshang, possessing the body of an unleashed celestial, had boundless energy. Together, you were equally matched, a perfect pair. Completely balanced. Completely compatible. Completely lost in the experience. ... ... In the days that followed, marks of your presence were left all over—among the peach trees, in the pond, the pavilion, the alchemy room, even before the grave of the bewitching woman. You found Meng Hongshang to be a treasure in every sense, continually discovering delightful surprises in her company. Caught in the illusion of paradise, Meng Hongshang gradually began to occupy more space in your heart, encroaching upon the place Nangong Liuli held. She had reached twenty percent. Fully giving her heart and soul to you, Meng Hongshang began considering everything from your perspective. She revealed the reason she lamented "what a pity" upon your first encounter. Your cultivation of the Ying Soul Art was incomplete, derived from a fragmented technique called the "Tàiyīn Ghost Talisman." As a verse goes, "Ten Thousand Tribulations of Yin Spirits, hard to enter into sanctity." It also says, "Cultivating nature without nurturing life is the first ailment in cultivation." The Ying Soul Art is such an art. Were it not for your naturally robust body, allowing you to withstand the harm from yin energy, and consumption of a powerful elixir— You might have decayed when forming the seed of yin soul. Upon advancing the stage of the Ying Soul Art further, your body, despite its strength, wouldn't withstand the decay. You'd become an unusually strong vagrant spirit. You were shocked upon hearing this and questioned Meng Hongshang on why she hadn’t told you sooner. Meng Hongshang replied that you appeared as no more than a servant to her then; upon achieving the ghastly form, she could make use of you as a ghost slave—she had no reservations. Now, however, as her lord, she couldn't let you stray down a misguided path. Thus she intended to purge all the yin energy from you. Furthermore, the yin energy you’ve cultivated wouldn't go to waste; it could be completely used to fuel the Yin Soul Lamp. At that time, the Yin Soul Lamp's power would increase greatly, serving as an excellent auxiliary instrument. After cleansing you of yin energy, she would then teach you her own cultivation method. Her school's authentic cultivation technique is the "Green Flower Talisman," divided into three volumes: upper, middle, and lower. The first volume deals with the art of cultivation, emphasizing dual cultivation of nature and life. The second volume covers crafting magical instruments, instructing how to forge artifacts that work in tandem with one's self. Such was the path chosen by one of Meng Hongshang's junior sisters, who crafted withered green threads specifically to dispel Peach Blossom’s miasma. The third volume involves drawing talismans, totaling thirty-six, for summoning deities, repelling ghosts, warding off evil, sealing demonic influences, invoking blessings, safeguarding oneself, attracting wealth, and inviting affections. However, to harness the full power of these talismans, the Green Flower Sect's head must confer them—which Meng Hongshang never delved deeply into. But due to your earthly studies in similar arts, you found the talisman method highly intriguing. So after Meng Hongshang dispelled your yin energy, you delved into the study of talismans. Seeing your eagerness towards talismans, Meng Hongshang informed you that the Green Flower Sect’s head’s seal was with her senior brother. She offered to retrieve it for you. You gladly agreed. Yet, no one knew where her senior brother was located, making this a long-term undertaking. At the lakeside pavilion in Peach Blossom Pond, you practiced the "Green Flower Talisman" through meditation. Perhaps due to your formidable soul, your progress was rapid, advancing at lightning speed. At that moment, a charming voice emerged from behind you. "Su Lang, look." You slowly retreated from your meditative state. Finding Meng Hongshang holding up a dark blue robe, she sought acknowledgment. This was something she had sewn over two months, specially crafted for you to wear. Enamored, you quickly rose to appreciate it. (Currently, in your heart, Nangong Liuli holds 75%, while Meng Hongshang occupies 25%.) "Hongshang, this robe you've sewn is really beautiful." Meng Hongshang flicked her eyes flirtatiously. "Of course." "Recently, a loose celestial's cave dwelling emerged on Cuiyun Mountain. I made this robe for you to wear on our outings together. Otherwise, in your coarse cloth attire, you’re hardly the image of a Dao cultivator." (End of Chapter)