Dual Cultivation

"…"

Disciple Fei suddenly stopped walking when she noticed someone following behind her.

However, when she turned around and saw the person following her, she was stunned for a moment.

She had expected this person to be another admirer trying to court her, but she couldn't have expected that he would look so… ordinary.

He was so plain that it caught her off guard, as she was used to being approached by handsome men.

"No."

Disciple Fei muttered in a cold voice before Su Yang could even open his mouth.

"At least hear me out." Su Yang smiled.

"No means no." Disciple Fei turned around and continued walking again.

"If you say so… Then goodnight, Disciple Fei… Or should I address you as Disciple Ouyang?"

Disciple Fei immediately froze her movements when Su Yang addressed her by a different surname.

She slowly turned back around in a stiff manner and stared at him with narrowed eyes, clearly unhappy about it.

"What did you just call me?" She muttered.

"Hm? Are you not from the Ouyang Family? I was almost certain you were because you look so similar to someone I know from that family." Su Yang said, still with a smile on his face.

Disciple Fei suddenly began approaching him in wide strides.

"Who are you? What is your connection with the Ouyang Family? Your life will depend on your answer!"

"Calm down. I don't really have any connections with the Ouyang Family." Su Yang raised his hands in a surrendering manner.

"…"

Disciple Fei silently stared into his eyes for the next few moments.

When she couldn't see any dishonesty within his eyes, she calmed down a little.

"Then why did you call out to me?"

"I was just curious. I may not have any connections to the Ouyang Family, but I know them very well, and if I recall correctly, they hate dual cultivators with a passion, so I was a little surprised to find someone from their family here."

"I am not from the Ouyang Family, so stop your assumptions," she corrected him.

"Really? But your reaction says otherwise."

"I will not repeat myself for another time! I. Am. Not. From. The. Ouyang Family!"

Su Yang nodded with a defeated smile, "Alright, I get it. You're not from the Ouyang Family."

"Hmph!"

Disciple Fei then turned around and walked away with haste, almost as though she was running away.

Su Yang lowered his arms after she left and laughed inwardly, 'She's definitely from the Ouyang Family. What a surprise. I wonder what someone like her is doing here, especially after what happened in her family that year…'

Su Yang returned to his living quarters shortly after to cultivate with Xing Aiying.

"I'm surprised you returned empty-handed. I guess it was much harder to find partners in that appearance that you anticipated?" Xing Aiying joked about his lack of results, something she doesn't get to do often.

Su Yang smiled and said, "That's not entirely correct. While it's true I didn't manage to find a partner today, it's not because of my appearance. I simply didn't approach anyone— except that girl from the Ouyang Family."

"Huh? Did you just say the Ouyang Family? Are you talking about 'that' Ouyang Family? The one who hunted you for almost a decade after you ruined their family's marriage by sleeping with the bride right before the wedding?"

Su Yang laughed after Xing Aiying recalled the events for him.

"That's right. It's that exact Ouyang Family. Surprising, right?"

"Surprising? Try shocking. I cannot believe that they would let someone from their family come to this place to become a dual cultivator even if she's not from the main family."…

"I don't think her family knows that she's here, which makes it even more interesting."

"What? How is that even possible?"

"She joined the sect under a different surname. I only recognized her because she looks like a certain someone from that family. With that being said, I don't think she's here to become a dual cultivator."

"Huh? What makes you say that?"

"Just a feeling. I don't know why she joined this sect, but I'm intrigued."

Xing Aiying sighed, "While it's okay to have fun once in a while, don't forget why you're here."

"I know."

"Do you intend on making her your partner in this sect?"

"I'm not sure yet. I wanted to, but that was before I realized her identity. I don't know why she's in the sect, but it's risky."

"Hoh? So even you know when to back off from chasing a woman? When did you learn to do that?"

"Things are different now." Su Yang said with a bittersweet smile.

"I'm just joking with you."

"I am aware."

When Xing Aiying fell asleep after their cultivation session, Su Yang returned to the Square of Devotion to see if there were any disciples that could be his partner.

His eyes quickly caught a figure sitting by the water fountain in the center of the square.

This figure was a beautiful young lady with an elegant aura around her and a somewhat timid face, suggesting that she came from an aristocratic family, something that is quite rare in a sect such as the Boundless Yin Yang Sect.

Su Yang didn't immediately approach her and watched from a distance.

After just five minutes of spectating, Su Yang counted 11 men that approached her, more than any of the other female disciples there.

It was clear that if Disciple Fei wasn't there, she was the most popular.

'The way she interacted with them… She's not good with men, huh… Furthermore, judging by how she hasn't looked directly into any of their eyes, she's a really bashful one.'

Although it might look like idling to most people, Su Yang was actually examining his target's character and behavior so that he could approach them appropriately.

Once he had enough information about the bashful disciple, Su Yang began walking towards her in a slow and calm manner.

However, he didn't stop in front of her like the others. Instead, he took a seat right beside her at the fountain.

And without even looking at her, Su Yang tilted his head to look at the sunrise far off in the distance.

"A beautiful sunrise, don't you think?" He suddenly spoke out in a gentle voice.

"Eh?" The female disciple turned to look at him.

And for the next few moments, she would continue to stare at his peaceful face without looking away, almost as though she was in a trance.

Perhaps it was because of Su Yang's expression that seemed like he was overly satisfied by the sunrise, but she found it hard to look away after seeing it.

While the disciple was still in a daze, Su Yang suddenly shifted his gaze from the sunrise to her face, staring directly into her eyes while she subconsciously stared back.

He smiled and said, "You have pretty eyes, and I'm honored that you're looking at me with them, but is there something on my face?"

"Eh? Um… N-No…" She shook her head in a somewhat panicked manner.

"That's good. I'm Xiao Yang. What's your name?" He suddenly asked her, continuing the conversation before she could withdraw.

"Lin… Lin Xinyi," she responded.

Since Su Yang had already introduced himself, she felt that it would be rude if she didn't do the same, and that would go against her family's teachings.