Why Not Have One More Dao Companion

Sunlight, lake water, young men and women...

The scene was beautiful enough to be a painting.

Yet in the Azure Emperor’s eyes, it was the cruelest torture in the world.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug deep into her palms, drawing bright red blood.

It felt as though someone had seized her heart and was squeezing it, leaving her almost unable to breathe.

Ye Xuan had once treated her the same way.

In the peach blossom forest of Falling Blossom Valley, on a sunny afternoon, Ye Xuan had smiled just like this as he scooped up water from the stream and gently sprinkled it over her.

She had pretended to be angry and chased him around, playfully striking at him. The two of them had laughed and tumbled together onto the grass carpeted with peach blossoms.

Back then, Ye Xuan’s eyes had held only her.

Back then, she had believed that such happiness would last forever.

But now, Ye Xuan’s smile belonged to someone else.

His tenderness, his indulgence, the intoxicating light in his eyes—all of it had been given to another woman.

And she could only stand in the distance like a lowly peeping Tom, without even the right to draw near.

The Azure Emperor drew a deep breath, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, and walked step by step toward Ye Xuan by the lakeside.

She knew she was bringing humiliation upon herself. But she had to go.

There was something lodged in her heart, and she would not be at ease until she had said it.

“Ye Xuan.”

Her voice was hoarse and trembling, jarringly out of place amid the cheerful laughter.

Ye Xuan and Ying’er stopped at the same time.

Ye Xuan turned his head. When he saw the Azure Emperor, the smile on his face immediately faded.

He said nothing. He merely looked at her calmly, as though she were an insignificant stranger.

The Azure Emperor’s heart twisted in pain once more.

Even so, she summoned her courage and asked in a trembling voice, “Ye Xuan, since you are Ye Jiuhuang’s husband, why are you so intimate with this maid? Don’t you think you’re betraying your wife?”

She had thought the question would strike Ye Xuan where it hurt. After all, Ye Jiuhuang was the Number One Sword Under Heaven, the Sword Sovereign who looked down upon the heavens.

How could a woman like that tolerate her husband being ambiguous with another woman?

Yet when Ye Xuan heard the question, he merely let out a disdainful laugh.

“Madam Lu.”

He deliberately emphasized those three words, his tone full of mockery. “When did my family affairs become any business of yours, an outsider?”

“I...” The Azure Emperor’s face paled, but she stubbornly pressed on. “Does Ye Jiuhuang know about this? Does she allow you to behave this way?”

The curve of Ye Xuan’s lips grew wider. He reached out and pulled Ying’er into his arms, then lowered his head and lightly kissed her forehead in front of the Azure Emperor.

Ying’er lowered her head shyly, her cheeks flushed crimson, and obediently nestled against Ye Xuan’s chest like a docile kitten.

The Azure Emperor felt her vision go black as the entire world spun around her.

“What’s so strange about it?” Ye Xuan raised his head and looked at her indifferently, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. “Ying’er is also my Dao partner. What’s wrong with me playing around with my own woman?”

“How is that possible?” The Azure Emperor’s eyes widened. Her voice suddenly rose as she cried out in disbelief, “You already have Ye Jiuhuang! How can you have another Dao partner?”

Ye Xuan looked as though he had just heard the funniest joke in the world and let out an utterly undisguised snort of laughter.

“Madam Lu, are you living in a dream?”

He raised an eyebrow, his tone filled with ridicule. “In the cultivation world, it’s perfectly normal for a man to have several Dao partners. Which Holy Land master or immortal sect ancestor doesn’t have a household full of wives and concubines?”

“As a mighty cultivator who has weathered the Tribulation, what’s the big deal about me having a few more Dao partners?”

The Azure Emperor opened and closed her mouth, only to find herself utterly speechless.

Indeed.

In the cultivation world, it was commonplace for male cultivators to have multiple Dao partners and for female cultivators to keep several male companions.

In the world of the strong, there were no mortal constraints of marriage. As long as a man was powerful enough and his principal wife agreed, no one would question how many concubines he took.

But... but Ye Xuan’s wife was Ye Jiuhuang!

That proud and peerless woman, the Number One Sword Under Heaven whose sword had chilled three thousand provinces!

The foremost figure of the sword path, before whom countless prodigies could only shrink back in awe, not even daring to look her directly in the eye!

How could such an arrogant woman tolerate her husband having another Dao partner?

How could she allow another woman to share her husband’s love?

“Ye Jiuhuang knew about this long ago.”

Ye Xuan’s voice pulled the Azure Emperor back from her shock.

She saw Ye Xuan gently stroking Ying’er’s hair, his movements tender, as though he were caressing a priceless treasure.

“I, Ye Xuan, decide how many Dao partners I wish to marry. That’s my business. Jiuhuang is understanding and reasonable; she has never interfered. Besides, Ying’er and I truly love each other. Of course she would bless us.”

“Besides...” Ye Xuan lifted his eyelids and swept a cold glance at the Azure Emperor. “This is a matter between Jiuhuang and me. As an outsider, what right do you have to interfere?”

With that, he no longer spared the Azure Emperor another glance. He turned, took Ying’er’s hand, and said gently, “Ying’er, let’s keep playing. Don’t let certain unrelated people spoil our mood.”

“Mm!” Ying’er nodded forcefully and gave Ye Xuan a sweet smile.

The two of them once again immersed themselves in their playful merriment. Laughing, Ye Xuan lifted Ying’er around the waist and spun her around in the water.

Ying’er cried out in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck, her laughter ringing like silver bells.

Water splashed in every direction, and their laughter flowed like song.

Their intimacy and affection were displayed openly before the Azure Emperor, without the slightest concealment.

The Azure Emperor stood on the shore like a statue turned to stone.

She stared fixedly at the pair in the middle of the lake. The poisonous flames of jealousy raged within her heart, scorching her internal organs until they were utterly mangled.

Why?

Why could a maid of low cultivation and scheming nature receive Ye Xuan’s affection?

Why could she stand openly at Ye Xuan’s side and enjoy his tenderness and protection?

While she, once the woman he had loved most—the fiancée for whom he had once been willing to give up his life—now did not even have the right to stand beside him?

No... It shouldn’t be like this!

Suddenly, a bold thought flashed through the Azure Emperor’s mind.

Since Ye Xuan could have two Dao partners, why couldn’t he have three?

Since Ye Jiuhuang could accept Ying’er, why couldn’t she accept her as well?

She believed that Ye Xuan still loved her. He was merely acting out of spite, merely taking revenge for what she had done back then.

Otherwise, why would he have kept that Exquisite Die? Otherwise, why would he have secretly helped her break through her shackles?

There had to be a place for her in his heart!

“Ye Xuan.”

The Azure Emperor took a deep breath and summoned every ounce of her strength before speaking in a trembling voice.

There was a trace of humble pleading in her voice—a posture she had never adopted before.

“Since you already have two Dao partners, why not take me as a third?”