Chapter 143: The Third Wheel

Chapter 143: The Third Wheel

I gazed at Fu Yating and pondered what schemes she might be hatching. Her large, innocent-looking eyes wandered around, looking at everything with child-like wonder.

Either way, out of sight, out of mind.

"I will help you get back to your group," I smiled, playing the dutiful fiancé, ready to take her back.

"Oh, it's already late at night," Song Song suddenly said in her faux innocent voice. It was as if she hadn't brazenly laughed when she saw Fu Yating looking like a lost cat. "Don't worry, we will take you to your place tomorrow, little flower."

I usually had a good read on what Song Song was up to. Sometimes, she didn't need to say anything for me to understand, and vice versa. We had fought and bled together long enough to instinctively grasp each other's intentions.

But I had no idea what Song Song was up to right now. There was nothing for her to gain by bringing my fiancée into our home. Song Song was smart enough to see it wasn't a coincidence she had come here.

The soft, chilly night wind washed over us, causing Fu Yating to shake like a leaf.

Song Song opened the gate for Fu Yating and told her to follow as we entered the mansion. As soon as we stepped through the doors, arrays activated, lighting everything up.

We walked into one of the guest rooms we never used. The small room exuded a warm and inviting charm. Dominating the cozy space was a plush red couch, its fabric felt like touching clouds. The walls were a soothing blend of white and beige, enhancing the room's tranquil ambiance. Complementing the couch was a unique wooden table with elegant marble feet.

Song Song sat on the couch, and Fu Yating followed, sitting beside her.

My friend then looked at me and smirked, "You lovebirds should spend some time together. I'll make you some tea."

"You know how to make tea?" I asked, genuinely shocked.

Song Song narrowed her eyes dangerously and softly laughed, "You're always such a jokester."

Why was she annoyed by that? It was a genuine question.

I should be the one angry here. I had planned to read a fascinating book on illusionary arrays. I slept more than usual yesterday to have fun today and spend the rest of the night reading until dawn.

But despite my complaints, Song Song walked away to prepare some tea.

What was the benefit of bringing someone like Fu Yating around? She wasn't even at Qi Gathering and seemed like she would only bring trouble.

Fu Yating glanced at me but said nothing, knowing that Song Song could hear us even if she was on the other side of the mansion. Foundation Establishment Cultivators had crazy senses like that.

The door creaked open shortly after she left, and Song Song came in with a tray of steaming cups of tea.

"I made more than needed, just in case our guest likes tea," Song Song said politely.

"Ah, thanks," Fu Yating bashfully said.

As Song Song sat down, I picked up my cup of tea and drank it while standing. The tea flowed down my throat, its taste a bit too overwhelming, leaving a strong, lingering aftertaste.

I was just waiting to see what this was about before leaving. How did I get involved in this?Neew updates at novel/bin(.)com

Sure, Fu Yating was my fiancée. But it was Song Song's problem now. She was the one who insisted on bringing her into our house. I had reading to do. Who knew when I would get another chance like this to read with the tournament around! Those illusionary arrays were really cool when I was under their effect. I couldn't wait to learn about them!

"No need to be so polite," Song Song told my fiancée, offering her some treats that she pulled out of her storage ring. "Liu Feng sure is lucky to have someone like you."

My fiancée looked aside, embarrassed.

Song Song was already in the yard, cultivating next to a sleeping Speedy, who hadn't moved since we left him there yesterday. Fu Yating was engaged in physical training nearby.

Ah, the joy of being a Body Tempering cultivator, where physical training was the only path to advancement.

I jumped out of the window, landing gracefully before taking another book from my storage ring in midair.

The night had gone as planned. I had read books on illusionary arrays, but it was less exciting than I had hoped, as creating my own illusions would take time.

I sat down next to Song Song, cracking open the new book on illusionary arrays and leaning against Speedy's shell. A comfortable feeling settled over me, and I smiled.

Initially, I had assumed Fu Yating would disrupt my reading time, but she remained surprisingly quiet.

"What do you think of her?" I asked Song Song, keeping my eyes on the book.

Song Song paused her cultivation, opening her blue eyes. "At least she's hardworking, but her talent for cultivation is quite low."

"Low? Our talents are about the same," I reminded her.

"She won't break through to Qi Gathering anytime soon, though," Song Song reasoned.

I had to agree. Sensing Qi was usually the toughest step in early cultivation stages. Even with my talent, breaking through was a challenge. Average cultivators with my talent faced even greater difficulties.

Fu Yating moved swiftly, her movements a blur to mortal eyes but painfully slow to mine.

"At best, she might reach Qi Gathering in her twenties, perhaps mid-twenties with a few setbacks," I estimated. "People with my talent usually reach it by their mid-twenties, but she is hardworking. She could reach it sooner."

"Don't forget, when it comes to Body Tempering, female cultivators generally face more challenges in advancing since it doesn't rely so much on talent," Song Song reminded me.

While women cultivators didn't differ much from men upon reaching Qi Gathering. There were even techniques like the ones Song Song used to hasten their cultivation. Which as far as I knew there were no techniques that could hasten a man’s cultivation just by remaining a virgin..

However, in Body Tempering, they struggled more to reach the physical thresholds required for advancement. That was why she was at a lower cultivation level than even the original Liu Feng.

Fu Yating was only at six-star Body Tempering—not necessarily bad for her age, but not exceptional.

It was also unlikely she received the same support from her clan that I had. After all, in her clan's eyes, she was destined to marry into mine. Investing heavily in a future Liu Clan member might not have seemed worthwhile.

I felt sympathy for her plight. Her cultivation journey was undoubtedly challenging. Thankfully, she didn't appear to blame me for her circumstances.

Or perhaps she did blame me but was clever enough to conceal it.

I turned towards Song Song; her marble-white skin glowed in the sunlight, her long lashes fluttering as she glanced at me from the corner of her eye.

"How did you manage cultivation during Body Tempering?" I asked.

Song Song shrugged, closing her eyes and returning to her cultivation. "Just gather a bunch of cultivation resources."

She saw the world through a straightforward lens. Though Song Song's approach was a practical one. Due to my connection with her, I also had access to those resources.

Now the question remained: should I help my scheming fiancée?