My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

Pulling back the curtain and stepping inside, Chen Yi first saw not Qin Qingluo, but Zhu E.

The woman in red seemed to have anticipated his arrival long ago, and hurriedly rose to greet him.

She showed no concern for whether Min Ning was present or not. When Chen Yi extended his hand, she immediately clasped it with both hands. This demeanor, overly submissive as it might seem, was precisely what made Zhu E herself.

Even though Min Ning had mentally prepared for this, witnessing it still left an unpleasant taste.

But for now, in someone else's territory, she could only stifle her irritation and swallow her words.

"You're here." Zhu E called softly.

Chen Yi smiled warmly and then asked, "Where is she?"

"She's inside," Zhu E hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "She doesn't want to see you."

Chen Yi didn't seem disappointed. It was expected. In fact, it would have been more surprising if she did want to see him.

Fixing his gaze on Zhu E, Chen Yi asked with a smile, "And if I want to see her?"

The woman in red replied softly, "Then Zhu E won't be able to stop you. She's inside."

With that, Zhu E chanted something under her breath and blew lightly towards Chen Yi.

This ensured that Chen Yi wouldn't be affected by her Illusion Technique.

Chen Yi gently hugged Zhu E and asked her to keep Min Ning company for a bit. Then, he picked up a long spear from the weapon rack, parted the curtains, and headed deeper into the tent.

This enormous tent was divided into several sections by curtains and screens, each serving different purposes. Chen Yi lifted the layers of curtains, long spear in hand, and ventured deeper until he finally found Qin Qingluo.

She was seated in a chair, stroking a long spear. Still clad in heavy armor, her gaze was slightly averted, and the corner of her eye caught sight of Chen Yi. Her lips curled into a cold smile:

"You're back again."

Chen Yi responded leisurely, "It's our last meeting. Not seeing each other would seem quite impolite."

His eyes swept over Qin Qingluo, lingering on the gold hairpin tucked at the base of her ponytail.

Qin Qingluo appeared to notice his gaze but continued stroking the long spear without a change in expression, her fingers absentmindedly brushing along the tip of the weapon.

Chen Yi pulled out a chair and sat down as well, as if intending to speak but finding no words to say.

They remained silent.

Silence seemed inevitable—for the grievance of a broken spear, the heartache of a stolen love, even the debt of saving his life at Jinya Pavilion—all were intertwined with humiliation and bitterness.

The oil lamp flickered inside the tent, blurring the line between light and shadow. Chen Yi stared at Qin Qingluo intently, but she never turned to meet his gaze, idly rubbing her long spear at a slow and steady pace.

After quite a while, Chen Yi finally moved.

He rose to his feet.

The female Prince sneered, "Had enough staring?"

"Enough staring. Let's practice spearplay now, shall we?"

Qin Qingluo's serpent-like eyes narrowed slightly. She set down the spear in her hands and scoffed, "Whore, cherish this last time."

She slowly rose to her feet. Instead of resisting, she displayed a boldness by confidently undoing the laces on her armor.

"I meant what I said—practice spearplay." Chen Yi waved the spear in his hand at Qin Qingluo, who towered over him by a full head. "You saw that duel. Surely, you must have felt something."

The towering woman fell silent, her gaze uncertain and flickering.

Chen Yi said calmly, "Relax. It's just spear practice, nothing more."

The female Prince let out a faint laugh, neither affirming nor denying his words. The hesitation and wariness disappeared from her face as she casually pulled a dark robe from the rack. The robe was adorned with patterns of a four-clawed black python—neither fully a ceremonial robe nor entirely casual wear, straddling both worlds. Once she donned the robe and picked up a long spear, the aura of a mighty Prince with a foreign surname became unmistakably evident.

Backing away from him, Qin Qingluo asked flatly, "Where shall we go?"

Chen Yi retorted, "Where do you want to kill me?"

"Somewhere Aunt Zhu won't see," Qin Qingluo said without hesitation.

She made no effort to conceal her murderous intent before Chen Yi.

Chen Yi gestured invitingly with his hand.

............…

Outside the camp lay a sea of bamboo. The two left the camp and stepped into the bamboo forest.

On a mountain trail, the tall woman walked ahead while Chen Yi followed behind. It was winter, and although the bamboo bore a faint tinge of yellow, the entire sea of bamboo remained lush and vibrant.

Pushing through the interwoven shadows of the bamboo, Chen Yi could faintly hear the sound of water. At first, it was the gentle rushing of a stream, but as they delved deeper and climbed higher, the sound transformed into the thunderous roar of a waterfall crashing into a lake.

Pushing aside the bamboo leaves before him, Chen Yi saw Qin Qingluo stop. Before them lay a lake, where the waterfall cascaded from above like the Milky Way, filling the air with misty sprays.

The tall woman slowly turned and fixed her gaze on Chen Yi.

Chen Yi spoke unhurriedly, "Today I brought Li Wenhu over. That old man is quite interesting—he said I have a good temperament, suitable for spear practice. Of course, he also praised you, saying your physique is exceptional, though he wasn't sure about your disposition. But I think, perhaps your temperament suits it less than mine."

Qin Qingluo seemed unmoved, replying flatly, "No need to provoke me."

Chen Yi turned his face toward the waterfall. Its rushing sound filled the air, but his mind remained unusually calm.

Neither Min Ning nor Qin Qingluo knew what he intended, and truthfully, even he wasn't entirely certain of his own purpose.

It was merely watching Li Wenhu's duel today, hearing the old man declare the demise of a particular martial art—something stirred within his heart.

Now, here with Qin Qingluo, Chen Yi gazed at the tall woman for a long moment before planting the long spear he carried firmly into the earth.

Then, with no hesitation in his movements, he unfastened the Brocade Spring Blade from his waist and tossed it over.

Qin Qingluo raised her hand and caught the blade.