Chapter 333: Restraint

Early in the morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Duan Rong walked out of the cave while yawning.

Outside the cave, mist was rolling about. Duan Rong looked up at the sky and saw overcast clouds like lead, spreading in layers...

The weather on this Changliu Mountain was said to have nine days of gloom for every one of sunshine; he had been in the mountains for half a month and hadn't seen the sun even once...

"What a streak of bad luck!" Duan Rong didn't know if he was lamenting the weather or his own circumstances.

After washing up, he pondered that after finishing the alchemy, Shang Xiangyu should be quite free for a good while.

Of course, there were still two corpses in the alchemy cave. However, Duan Rong felt that if this matter were to alarm the Ruling Sect Justice Division, the scene might have to be preserved as evidence for a few days.

After all, only Pan Yong and his two Registered Disciples remained on Shang Xiangyu's side, so Duan Rong still prepared to go over, greet Pan Yong first, and then go to the Medicine Pavilion to verify the accounts.

Duan Rong walked to the entrance of Pan Yong's cave. Just as he peered into the pitch-black interior, his peripheral vision caught Pan Yong walking back from the corner of the cliff wall nearby, carrying a wooden basin and a towel.

Pan Yong smiled and said, "Disciple, do you have business with me?"

Duan Rong then said that he had not been in the Sect for long and his Contribution Points were somewhat insufficient, so he wanted to go to the Guanglu Courtyard to take on some tasks and earn Contribution Points. As for his account verification work at the Medicine Pavilion, Duan Rong did not want to make it public for the time being.

Pan Yong didn't say anything, only telling him to make his own arrangements and that if there was anything here, he would come find him.

Finally, the two exchanged a few bland pleasantries, and Duan Rong left.

After leaving Pan Yong, Duan Rong did not directly take the Cableway to the Medicine Pavilion, but instead went into the dense forest first.

Duan Rong walked slowly through the clear, bright morning forest, the chirping of birds occasionally drifting through the leaves.

He walked deep into the dense forest, to a remote, large blue stone.

Duan Rong walked around the blue stone once, looking all around to ensure no one was nearby, before squatting down, digging away the soil at the base of the large blue stone, and clutching a small Porcelain Bottle in his hand.

Duan Rong tucked away the Porcelain Bottle, used his foot to stomp down the overturned pile of dirt, and turned to leave.

Inside that small Porcelain Bottle was the auxiliary medicine he had hidden here a few days ago for cultivating the fourth level of the Womb Treasury Sutra: Green Pupil.

Duan Rong planned to go to Xiao Yu's place after auditing accounts at the Medicine Pavilion for a few hours, and start cultivating the Womb Treasury Sutra tonight.

Duan Rong arrived at the three-story pavilion with gray walls and black tiles that was the Medicine Pavilion. Xia Honghua was behind the curved counter, rolling her eyes at him incessantly.

Duan Rong hadn't come for several days, had he?

The Contribution Points they agreed upon were settled monthly, which meant that for the days Duan Rong hadn't come, Xia Honghua had still been giving him two Contribution Points every day.

These past few days, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

But Duan Rong felt that he earned his Contribution Points based on his own ability. Never mind whether he came or not, as long as he finished the work according to the requirements.

When Duan Rong walked past the counter, he greeted Xia Honghua very enthusiastically.

Xia Honghua chided, "You still know how to come? I thought you had forgotten about my place?"

Duan Rong said, "What are you saying, Madam? Even if I forgot my own surname, I couldn't forget your business!"

Xia Honghua raised her willow-leaf eyebrows and said, "Don't talk so sweetly. This old lady doesn't buy that."

"Here." Xia Honghua took a slip of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Duan Rong.

"What is this?" Duan Rong reached out to take it and looked at it intently.

Xia Honghua said, "From now on, I will check your progress every half month. This is to ensure that you can complete the task before the half-year account auditing period. If I check and you haven't completed the corresponding progress, I will deduct your Contribution Points."

Duan Rong looked at the slip, nodded, and said, "Fine."

Xia Honghua was stunned for a moment. She thought Duan Rong would bargain with her; she didn't expect this kid to agree directly.

Duan Rong placed the slip in his hand onto the counter and turned to leave.

Xia Honghua said, "Aren't you taking the slip?"

"No need." Duan Rong glanced at the slip in Xia Honghua's hand and walked away on his own.

The progress Xia Honghua wanted to check was much slower than the schedule he had listed himself, so why would he need to keep it?

Xia Honghua watched Duan Rong's figure disappear at the entrance, her expression slightly startled. "Why is this kid still acting like nothing happened? Could it be that the trick I thought of isn't working?"

Duan Rong hadn't come for several days, and his progress had indeed fallen behind a bit.

He stayed in that cramped, dim room for a full four hours before he managed to catch up on some of the progress.

When Duan Rong left, Xia Honghua's complexion finally looked a bit better.

After all, Duan Rong hadn't run off after working two hours like he usually did today, but had worked for a full four hours.

Xia Honghua immediately felt that the trick she used had taken effect and constrained Duan Rong.

Her mood suddenly became excellent, and she couldn't help but hum a little tune...

After Duan Rong left the Medicine Pavilion, he came to the cliff's edge and took the Cableway to the mountain peak where the Stone Workshop was.

Duan Rong had been here once before, and since he was born with a deep memory for routes, he soon walked into the Stone Workshop.

Duan Rong entered the Stone Workshop and came to the place where Xiao Yu had carved the stone statue last time. He searched the vicinity but didn't see anyone.

Duan Rong's gaze shifted, and he walked to a spot not far from the cave where Xiao Yu lived, waiting for her by the side of the road.

Duan Rong reckoned that Xiao Yu should have finished work and would be back in a moment.

Sure enough, Duan Rong didn't wait long before he saw four graceful and pretty women coming together, chatting and laughing as they walked. Xiao Yu was among them, and all of them were carrying washbasins and towels.

Xiao Yu saw Duan Rong from afar, her face blushing slightly, but she continued to chat and laugh with her companions...

The group separated at a fork in the road ahead, and Xiao Yu walked slowly toward Duan Rong.

However, the other three women did not walk away, but hid at the intersection, peeking over here.

One of the women said, "Hey, why does that person look like the one who asked us for directions by the stream that day?"

"Really? Your memory is just that good? Don't tell me you've taken a fancy to him?" a petite and pretty woman laughed.

"Who took a fancy to him? I'll have you stop talking nonsense." As the woman said this, she reached out to pinch the petite woman's mouth.

The two of them ran off while bickering.

The other person saw that both of them had left, and felt there was no point in watching alone, so she left as well.

Xiao Yu carried her basin and towel to a spot not far from Duan Rong and said, "What are you here for again?"

Although Xiao Yu's words were cold, her eyes were looking at Duan Rong with deep affection.

Duan Rong also looked at Xiao Yu, then raised his eyes to glance at the clouds in the sky, and said, "I think it's still early. Shall we go for a walk in the woods?"

Xiao Yu gave a hum, put the washbasin and towel into the cave, and then went out of the Stone Workshop with Duan Rong to stroll in the woods.

At first, the two of them just walked in silence, then Duan Rong suddenly said, "How has the stone carving been going lately?"

It would have been fine if Duan Rong hadn't asked, but once he did, it was as if Xiao Yu had opened a chatterbox, telling Duan Rong about all the big and small things that had happened at the Stone Workshop recently.

Duan Rong had originally wanted to interject a couple of times, but eventually realized that even without him interjecting, Xiao Yu could keep on talking, so he simply nodded and smiled.

Duan Rong couldn't help but be surprised; when did Xiao Yu become so talkative? Just like Zhu Xiaoqi.

After Xiao Yu had been talking for a while, she suddenly paused and said, "Why aren't you saying anything? What are you just standing there grinning like a fool for?"

Duan Rong said, "You have one thing after another, without even a pause. Even if I wanted to speak, I'd need a breath of air."

Xiao Yu said anxiously, "Then why didn't you call out to stop me?"

"You were speaking with such enthusiasm, how could I bear to interrupt you?"

"Fine then, I won't talk now. You talk." As Xiao Yu said this, she stopped talking and looked at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong's gaze suddenly shifted, and pointing at two red and yellow mottled fruits in the bushes ahead, he said, "There are actually two Red Tide Fruits here!? That is strange!"

As Duan Rong spoke, he walked over and picked the two fruits. He rubbed the two fruits on his clothes and handed one to Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu took it, looked at the strange-looking fruit in her hand with a suspicious gaze, and said, "Is this edible?"

Duan Rong said, "Why wouldn't it be edible? It's delicious!"

As Duan Rong spoke, he took a bite.

Seeing that Duan Rong had already eaten it, Xiao Yu said, "Alright. At worst, I'll just be poisoned to death by this wild fruit along with you."

Xiao Yu took a light bite; the fruit flesh was fragrant, soft, glutinous, and sweet upon entering the mouth, and it was actually quite delicious.

Duan Rong said, "How is it? Delicious, right?"

Xiao Yu nodded and said, "It's indeed not bad."

This Red Tide Fruit can only grow in a year-round humid environment; there are none in Xiangu County, but this Red Tide Fruit is also a medicinal ingredient, so Duan Rong knew it very well and also knew what it looked like and tasted like when ripe.

The two of them strolled through the woods while eating the Red Tide Fruit.

Duan Rong soon began chatting with Xiao Yu about various matters within the Sect.

Duan Rong brought up the Star Disk, and Xiao Yu specifically took out her Star Disk to show Duan Rong.

Seeing that Xiao Yu had already collected her Star Disk, Duan Rong was actually not surprised; when he was waiting there for Xiao Yu, he had seen Xiao Yu returning with several female disciples, and they were laughing and talking.

This showed that Xiao Yu was getting along well with those female disciples.

Therefore, it was normal for them to have taken Xiao Yu to collect her Star Disk in advance.

The two of them chatted about some other things as well, including accepting missions at the Guanglu Courtyard and earning Contribution Points.

Duan Rong even chatted with Xiao Yu about the God-Demon Relic and that eerie, twisted Underground World.

Xiao Yu clearly did not know this information and was immediately dazzled and fascinated as she listened.

Without realizing it, the two had walked deep into the dense forest. They had chatted all the way here, exchanging quite a bit of information, and Xiao Yu had also mentioned a few points that Duan Rong had not known before.

When the two were tired from walking, they sat down on a large, white-glimmering rock beside a stream.

They unconsciously leaned their shoulders against each other.

Xiao Yu looked at the stream and trees in front of her and murmured, "This is truly beautiful!"

Duan Rong threw a stone from his side into the stream, splashing up a spray of water. "What's beautiful about it? I've been here for over half a month and I haven't even seen the sun yet."

Xiao Yu turned her head and cast a sidelong glance at Duan Rong, as if blaming him for lacking sentiment. However, she still went along with Duan Rong and said, "That's true. The weather here is really strange, it's always foggy."

The two sat on that large rock, and before long, they saw that twilight had already descended upon the woods.

Xiao Yu said, "Let's go back."

Duan Rong looked at the stream not far away. "Shall we catch a few fish to take back?"

Xiao Yu nodded.

Duan Rong speared a few fish and threaded them with bamboo strips.

The two followed the path they had come by and walked toward the Stone Workshop.

By the time they were halfway there, the twilight had already grown thicker.

Neither of them spoke; the surroundings were completely silent, and there was no sound of wind. Their footsteps echoed, and their hearts were peaceful and in harmony.

Seeing that the Stone Workshop was not far ahead, in the darkness, dots of firelight revealed a sense of warmth.

Duan Rong glanced at Xiao Yu in the darkness, his gaze profound.

If one day he truly had to leave the Taiyi Sect, he would tell Xiao Yu, but he would not take Xiao Yu with him.

Xiao Yu had family, unlike him, who was all alone.

Xiao Zongting still needed someone to provide for his old age and see him to his final rest.

As Duan Rong thought this, a faint sorrow welled up in his heart.

The two of them walked through the pitch-black sky to the entrance of Xiao Yu's cave.

They found some dry firewood, lit it with a Fire Folder, and sat at the cave entrance to start grilling the fish.

Duan Rong grilled the fish by the fire, while Xiao Yu sat there with her knees hugged, staring blankly at the firelight.

After the two finished eating the grilled fish, they sat at the cave entrance to rest.

Duan Rong suddenly said, "Sigh, shall we go take a look at the place where you carve stone statues?"

Xiao Yu asked in confusion, "What's there to see?"

"Let's go. I want to see." Duan Rong had already stood up as he spoke.

Seeing that Duan Rong insisted, Xiao Yu brought him to the cave where she usually carved.

Xiao Yu lit a Candle Lamp inside the cave.

Only to see that inside the cave, there were stone statues of all sizes, with the largest few being over two people tall.

Duan Rong asked, "Those few large ones, who carved them?"

"Those were all carved by the master craftsmen; it takes three or four people to carve one, and it takes one or two months too."

Duan Rong suddenly saw a pile of stone carvings thrown in a secluded corner at the cave entrance, and he crawled over there to rummage through them.

"What are you rummaging for over there?"

Duan Rong was seen carrying over four stone carvings that only reached the lower edge of a person's calf, placing them on the ground, and asking Xiao Yu, "I think these are carved quite well too, why are they all piled up in that corner?"

"Those are all things for beginners to practice their skills on. Why are you messing with them?" Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong, full of doubt.

Duan Rong did not answer, but just looked at Xiao Yu and said, "Let's carry these four to your cave."

"Why do we have to carry them over?"

Xiao Yu truly could not understand Duan Rong's strange behavior.

Duan Rong's eyes flashed, and he said, "To use as pillows."

"Using this as a pillow, don't you find it hard? Even if you use it as a pillow, you only need to take one over."

"Don't you worry about it, help me carry two."

"I won't carry them!"

Although Xiao Yu said she wouldn't carry them, when Duan Rong gave her the two stone carvings in his arms, she hurriedly took them.

Duan Rong picked up the other two on the ground and said, "Let's go."

As Duan Rong spoke, he had already carried the two stone statues out of the cave.

"Crazy!"

Xiao Yu cursed, but she still carried the other two stone statues and followed behind Duan Rong.

Duan Rong placed the two stone statues deep inside Xiao Yu's cave, picked up a towel to wipe the dust off his body, and also wiped the dust off Xiao Yu's stomach.

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong and said, "Tell me, what are you bringing these stone statues over for?"

Duan Rong smiled and said, "They look good."

Xiao Yu rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don't try to gloss over it. Tell the truth."

Duan Rong sighed, looked at Xiao Yu solemnly, and said, "I have a use for them anyway. It's hard for me to explain clearly for the moment. I'll tell you later."

Xiao Yu saw that Duan Rong was serious, so she stopped pursuing the matter; she did not want to force Duan Rong.

At this time, it was already late, so the two blew out the Candle Lamp and lay down on the stone bed.

In the darkness, they could both clearly hear each other's breathing.

Xiao Yu's breathing was intermittent...

Duan Rong lay there, and the heat in his lower abdomen began to surge in waves.

Duan Rong suddenly turned over, pressed down on Xiao Yu's body, and with rapid breathing, he covered Xiao Yu's lips with his own.

Duan Rong was restless, and Xiao Yu did not resist, letting Duan Rong's lips invade wildly...

But after a while, Duan Rong suddenly stopped.

The two stared at each other in the darkness; they could not see each other's faces and could only vaguely distinguish the other's eyes flickering slightly in the dark.

Xiao Yu's lips were a bit sore from Duan Rong's kissing, but her heart was overflowing with a strange feeling... She could not tell if it was happiness or pain...

Duan Rong suddenly jumped off the bed.

He knew that even if he had gone a step further just now, Xiao Yu would not have resisted.

However, he could not.

Perhaps, before long, he would have to leave the Taiyi Sect. Could he take Xiao Yu away? Would Xiao Yu leave with him?

He did not know. He could not let Xiao Yu lose her virginity to him when there were so many uncertain factors.

The moment Duan Rong jumped off the bed, Xiao Yu's tears flowed down.

If Duan Rong had wanted to go further just now, she would not have refused him. Moreover, Xiao Yu had already felt that Duan Rong was clearly surging with desire.

But he actually chose to sleep on the ground to restrain himself.

After Duan Rong jumped off the bed, he began to fiddle with the four stone statues.

He placed them well and sat cross-legged among them himself.

Xiao Yu, on the stone bed, heard the noise Duan Rong made and asked, "What are you doing?"

Duan Rong said, "Nothing, you go to sleep."

Hearing Duan Rong's voice, Xiao Yu identified his position, threw the animal skin blanket from her body toward Duan Rong, and said, "Cover yourself with the blanket, don't catch a cold."

Duan Rong had just sat down among the stone statues when the animal skin blanket covered his head; in the darkness, he managed to take it off and set it aside.

At this moment, Duan Rong also understood. Xiao Yu thought he was willing to sleep on the ground to restrain himself.

However, that was about right.

He was restraining himself to prepare to start practicing the fourth level of the Womb Treasury Sutra.

(End of chapter)