Peach Blossom Dual Cultivation - Chapter 59: A Woman’s Heartbreak

Upon hearing Xiaoxi’s words, Zhou Lang’s heart tightened. He had already offended the Shangguan Family to protect Zhao Xiaorou, and now he needed to do everything possible to increase his strength. If not, he might have to take Zhao Xiaorou and flee far away, living under a new identity.

However, the thought of hiding made him feel less of a man. He had no intention of running. Instead, he planned to face whatever challenges came his way, standing strong against any storm.

With these thoughts in mind, Zhou Lang quickly calmed himself, pushing aside his enjoyment and focusing on circulating his true energy according to the dual cultivation technique.

Xiaoxi immediately cooperated, and soon, their true energy began to merge—yin and yang intertwining to form a large cycle. Their true energy flowed through their meridians, constantly strengthening them.

…

Time flew by. Over the next three days, apart from eating, occasionally guiding Zhao Xiaorou in her training, and calling Ivanova, Zhou Lang spent almost all his time cultivating inside the Heaven and Earth Palace within the ancestral coin.

Initially, he wanted to share his secrets with Zhao Xiaorou, bringing her into the ancestral coin and asking Xiaoxi to help unblock her meridians to enhance her strength. However, Xiaoxi reminded him that the old master had left instructions—only those with Zhou Family blood could enter the ancestral coin. Thus, Zhou Lang had no choice but to abandon the idea.

The effects of dual cultivation were indeed extraordinary. In just three days, Zhou Lang had successfully reached the later stage of Qi Refining, with hopes of advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage.

However, he still wasn’t certain when he would be able to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage and gain full control over the magical treasures left by his ancestor to set up formations. His true energy—or rather the spiritual energy he had absorbed from heaven and earth—was still insufficient to condense his gaseous true energy into liquid form. How long this process would take remained unclear.

Despite his intense training, Zhou Lang didn’t completely disconnect from the outside world. He kept part of his attention on Zhao Xiaorou’s safety.

Additionally, during his phone calls with Ivanova, he explained that he was currently in seclusion to cultivate and might not have much time to spend with her. Ivanova, being understanding, didn’t blame him. It seemed that as long as she didn’t clash with Zhao Xiaorou, she was quite agreeable to Zhou Lang’s words.

…

On the evening of the fourth day, Zhou Lang received a phone call from Li Mengxue.

“Zhou Lang, come to my house,” Li Mengxue said over the phone, her voice sounding somewhat fatigued.

“Alright, Sister Xue, I’ll be there right away,” Zhou Lang replied. Although he was eager to focus on improving his strength, he couldn’t refuse Li Mengxue’s request. After all, she was his nominal employer, and he had to be available when called.

Half an hour later, Zhou Lang arrived at Li Mengxue’s home. They met in the villa’s courtyard.

It had rained earlier that afternoon, so the weather wasn’t stifling. The air was fresh, but Li Mengxue looked a little weary, lacking her usual radiance. In her hands, she held two stacks of money—likely about 20,000 yuan.

“Sister Xue, have you been staying home these past few days and not going to the bar?”

Zhou Lang asked. He sensed something was wrong. Otherwise, Li Mengxue wouldn’t seem so drained of energy.

“Except for yesterday and today, I’ve been going to the bar,” Li Mengxue replied, her tone a bit cold, as if the closeness between her and Zhou Lang had disappeared, leaving only a sense of distance.

“Then why didn’t you call me?”

Zhou Lang asked, surprised by her change in behavior.

“Now that Li Qi has left Feiyun City, I’m safe. I didn’t want to trouble you anymore,” Li Mengxue said.

“I called you here to settle your payment.”

“Sister Xue, you don’t want me to be your bodyguard anymore?”

Zhou Lang asked, shocked. From her words, it seemed she was letting him go.

“Zhou Lang, I don’t know who you are, but I suspect that being my bodyguard is below your talents. I don’t want to trouble you any longer. I’m truly grateful for everything you’ve done,” Li Mengxue said hesitantly as she handed him the money.

“This 10,000 is your salary, and the other 10,000 is compensation for you.”

“Sister Xue, is something wrong? Maybe I can help,” Zhou Lang asked, sensing that something was weighing on her mind.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Li Mengxue replied.

“You’ve done me a great favor these past few weeks. This money is rightfully yours.”

She forced the 20,000 yuan into Zhou Lang’s hands.

“Could it be that she has a new boyfriend and wants to distance herself from me?”

Zhou Lang wondered. Just a few days ago, they had been in this very villa, lying in bed together, embracing like lovers. But now, they seemed like strangers.

As a cultivator, Zhou Lang was almost omnipotent in the eyes of ordinary people. Yet, he still couldn’t fathom the complexities of a woman’s heart.

“Alright then. If you ever need anything, just call me. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave,” Zhou Lang said. Knowing that Li Mengxue wasn’t short on money, he accepted the 20,000 yuan.

“Go ahead,” Li Mengxue said, her eyes showing a hint of complexity.

Not thinking too much more about it, Zhou Lang waved goodbye to her and turned to leave.

To be honest, he still had some lingering feelings for Li Mengxue. She was a mature and beautiful woman, and the memory of their intimate moments—kissing and caressing each other on the bed—was still fresh in his mind. But from the current situation, it seemed unlikely that they would have much contact in the future.

If it were another man, he might have pursued Li Mengxue relentlessly. But Zhou Lang wasn’t that kind of person. He assumed that she had a boyfriend now and didn’t want him to disrupt her life. So, he wisely chose to leave. From now on, unless she called him, he wouldn’t contact her.

“I was born when you were young, but now I am old.”

Watching Zhou Lang leave, tears welled up in Li Mengxue’s eyes. Once he was out of sight, she murmured those words softly.

It turned out there was a reason she had settled his pay and no longer wanted him as her bodyguard.

That night when Zhou Lang went to the bar to pick up Ivanova, Li Mengxue had seen it. From the smile on Ivanova’s face, she knew that Ivanova had already become Zhou Lang’s girlfriend.

Li Mengxue was several years older than Zhou Lang. Although she had also fallen for him, she felt that she shouldn’t compete with Ivanova for Zhou Lang’s affection. She believed the chances of Zhou Lang choosing her over Ivanova were slim, given their age difference.

Over the past few days, her heart had been in turmoil. In just a few days, she had become physically and emotionally drained. She hated that she wasn’t a few years younger. If she were closer to Zhou Lang’s age, she would compete with Ivanova for him. Despite Ivanova’s stunning beauty as a mixed-race woman, Li Mengxue was confident in her charm and elegance.

Thus, she sighed, “I was born when you were young, but now I am old.”

After days of inner conflict, she finally made up her mind. She decided that it was better to end things quickly than to prolong the pain. That’s why she had chosen to separate from Zhou Lang completely, leading to the scene that had just unfolded.