Bai Li raised her head, her long, slender neck bobbing slightly as she swallowed. She gently wiped her delicate pink lips, her eyes showing a hint of bewilderment and innocence. Then, she looked at Jiang Huai, who was in front of her, and said, “Why don’t you sit down and rest?”
Jiang Huai sat on the bluestone, while Bai Li stood up and looked towards the cold pond within the mountain cave. Beside the pond, there was a waterfall. She lowered her head, looking at the bloodstains on her body, and softly said, “I want to take a bath. Do you have any clothes I can wear?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m going to bathe. Do you want to come too?”
Jiang Huai was also covered in blood, stained from holding Bai Li earlier. He was about to say, “Why don’t you go first?” but before he could, Bai Li had already taken his hand and was pulling him towards the bathhouse. It turned out her question was a command.
Jiang Huai was dragged to the edge of the cold pond. Although the water was icy, the medicinal effects of the Dragon Blood Spirit Fruit were still active within him. Jiang Huai objectively analyzed it, suspecting that the Dragon Blood Spirit Fruit might also have some aphrodisiac properties.
Bai Li remained in her Dragon Lady form. Her body stepped into the cold pond water, and Jiang Huai followed. Bai Li’s body was quickly submerged in the water, and she used her spiritual qi to remove the blood mist. It was washed away by the cold pond water. She came to Jiang Huai’s side and said, “Give me the bath flower dew.”
Jiang Huai threw the bath flower dew to her. He watched as she applied the dew to her body, and then she pressed herself against him. “I poured too much, I’ll share some with you.”
“No, these are the lines of the fox demon seducing the scholar in the Warm Jade Exquisite Melody!” Jiang Huai suddenly realized.
“Damn it, it’s all A Mumu’s fault for writing so many strange lines in the book, that even Bai Li, who should have been as pure as a blank slate, learned them. Retribution, it’s all retribution!”
Jiang Huai reached out and placed his hand on Bai Li’s shoulder, looking into her eyes. “My dear aunt, please stop tormenting me, okay?”
“Hmm?” Bai Li looked at him innocently. “If I refine the Dragon Crystal completely, I won’t have to worry about you taking away the Tai Xu bloodline power of the Snake Clan. That means… we can do enjoyable things.”
“No, we can’t.”
“Why can’t we?” Bai Li looked at him innocently.
“This kind of thing definitely can’t be done casually.”
“I know, I’ll only do it with you.” Bai Li still looked at him, confused and innocent. “Can’t we do it?”
“We… why should we do it?”
“Because you look like you really want to,” Bai Li lowered her head and pointed to Jiang Xiaohu, presenting the evidence to Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai was ashamed beyond measure. He heard her continue, “It just so happens that I want to a little too.”
“No, no, no, no, no,” Jiang Huai shook his head like a rattle drum.
“Why?” Bai Li still looked full of confusion and incomprehension.
“Be-because… in our Human Clan’s world, this kind of thing can only be done with the person you intend to spend your life with,” Jiang Huai tried to explain to Bai Li.
Bai Li was stunned for a moment, then softly hummed. She turned her face away and suddenly muttered very quietly, “No wonder I didn’t want to.”
Her voice seemed to carry a hint of grievance; it was hard to distinguish. Jiang Huai was about to say something else, but her body had already submerged in the water again, ignoring Jiang Huai. She simply swam around and around in the cold pond water. Jiang Huai didn’t know what to say. After a while, Bai Li’s body emerged from the water. Her almost perfect body was covered in water droplets. The water droplets, illuminated by the faint light from the cave ceiling, were crystal clear, clinging to her flawless body.
Indeed, it was an almost perfect body. Every line was so pure and bright. Jiang Huai dared not look any further and turned his face away.
Bai Li didn’t speak again. After a long time, she walked out of the cold pond by herself, sat on the bluestone by the pond, and said to Jiang Huai, “I’m done bathing.”
Jiang Huai remembered the size she had told him. He found a simple black nightgown for Bai Li to wear first. Bai Li took the dress and put it on. The design of the black dress was very elegant, but it fit her perfectly. The pure black fabric contrasted with her snow-white skin, making her skin appear as fair as warm jade.
Having grown into an adult, her hair now reached her waist. She dispersed the moisture in her hair with spiritual qi. Her hair cascaded down her back, and her eyes looked elsewhere, not at him.
Jiang Huai couldn’t tell if Bai Li was angry. In all the time they had known each other, he had never made Bai Li angry before. He couldn’t think of any comforting words and didn’t know what to say, but the atmosphere felt excessively silent. After a long while, he softly said, “Don’t put yourself in danger alone next time, okay? You should have called me to go with you to find the Dragon Crystal. It’s always safer with an extra person.”
Bai Li didn’t speak, just remained silent.
Jiang Huai scratched his head and looked at the girl’s snow-white profile. “Why aren’t you talking?”
Bai Li gently bit her lips, still not responding, until Jiang Huai saw a few tear droplets seemingly hanging from her eyelashes.
“Why are you crying?”
“It’s nothing.” Bai Li finally spoke. She reached out and gently wiped away the tears from her eyelashes, replying, “I know I was wrong.”
“No, I’m not blaming you. I just think you should have told me…”
“How did you know I left alone?”
“When you suddenly said not to be sad if I died, I was very uneasy. I pretended to be asleep for a long time until you left. But you transformed into your true form and ran too fast. I couldn’t catch up.”
“You’re so good at guessing.”
“What?”
“I said… you’re so good at guessing people’s thoughts, yet you’re also so good at playing dumb.” Bai Li stood up and looked at Jiang Huai. “It’s okay, thank you for saving me, Jiang Huai.”
“I told you we don’t need to say thank you between us,” Jiang Huai replied softly. Bai Li walked in front of him, her delicate pink knees gently touching the ground again. Her skirt spread out in a beautiful arc on the ground. She looked up at him. “Are you done resting? Can you take the medicine now?”
“I… I guess I’m rested…” Jiang Huai went to get the Dragon Crystal and placed his hand on it. Then, using his body as a furnace, he refined a portion of it. However, this time Bai Li said very seriously, “You’re not allowed to move. It was a little uncomfortable when you poked me before.”
So Jiang Huai obediently stood still.
…
“Why are you crying again?”
“I choked.”
That sacred and pure face was now covered in tears.
Jiang Huai felt a vague sense of unease, but Bai Li simply wiped away her tears. “It’s fine, don’t worry.”
Her body transformed back into Little Bai Li’s appearance, and she completely concealed the dragon horns on her forehead. In a daze, it seemed as if nothing had changed. After wiping away all her tears, she smiled at Jiang Huai again. “I told you it’s fine. We’re good brothers, what’s there to be ashamed of? The way you blushed earlier was so funny.”
“Is it?”
“So it’s you who’s strange. You say you treat me as a good brother, and yet you always see me as a woman. Sometimes I can’t distinguish whether I’m a brother adventuring with you or a woman who also arouses your desires. But since you don’t want to see me as a woman, let’s just be good friends. I don’t have any particular preference.”
As she spoke, she chuckled lightly and then looked at the Dragon Crystal. “How many more times do I need to give you medicine?”
“Six more times.”
“You look very tired. Do you want to sleep for a while?” Bai Li sat on the ground, lifted her now loose long dress, and patted her snow-white, slender thighs. Jiang Huai hesitated for a moment before coming to her side and gently resting his head on her lap. She had just used the bath flower dew Jiang Huai gave her and had a faint fragrance on her body. Her snow-white skin was also slightly hot.
Jiang Huai didn’t sleep. He tried hard to sleep, but his mind was a mess. Bai Li’s small hand gently stroked his cheek. He seemed to vaguely feel his cheek being lightly warmed by water droplets. But when he opened his eyes, Bai Li’s small hand was covering his eyes, and he could only see darkness.
“It’s raining, the cave is leaking,” Bai Li said softly.
“Don’t lie to me.”
“Why would I lie to you? I’ve already shielded it with spiritual qi. Sleep well.” Bai Li’s voice was very gentle. Jiang Huai closed his eyes, but after a long time, he still couldn’t fall asleep. He said softly, “I’m rested, I’m not sleeping anymore.”
“Okay.”
When Jiang Huai got up from her, Bai Li’s body transformed back into her Dragon Lady form. She looked seriously at Jiang Huai’s slightly surprised eyes and explained, “Let’s use this form when I give you medicine. That way, when I turn back into Little Bai Li, you won’t think of so many strange things in your head, right? When I return to my original appearance, pretend that nothing happened.”
“That’s fine too.”
…
The light emanating from the Dragon Crystal finally dimmed completely.
Jiang Huai used his own body as a furnace and transferred all the power within the Dragon Crystal to Bai Li. Now, Bai Li’s cultivation level had decreased instead of increased, dropping from late Nascent Soul to early Nascent Soul. However, Bai Li tested it and found that the spiritual qi in her body and the strength of her physique were much stronger than before.
This was probably due to the special rules of the Dragon Clan’s physique. She couldn’t be considered a pure Dragon Clan member yet, at most a half-dragon with dragon bloodline. But even at early Nascent Soul, cultivators within the fifth level of Transc might not be her match.
Jiang Huai was finally able to put on his clothes. He had felt very awkward being naked before. Now that he was dressed, Bai Li also changed back into that black qipao. The gray silk under the qipao was transparent, faintly glistening. Her hair, which had become shorter, turned back into shoulder-length white hair.
It was as if nothing had changed, as if everything had not happened. Although the process of refining the medicine was absurd, it was over. It was fine to pretend that nothing had happened.
Bai Li’s cheeks had returned to their initial innocent and charming appearance. She stretched and said, “Older Sister now feels full of strength.”
“Good, good, good.”
“But I’m so hungry,” Bai Li looked at Jiang Huai pitifully again.
“Eat some beef jerky first. I’ll go and explain things to Ji Shi Zhenren.” Jiang Huai handed her a bag of beef jerky. Bai Li obediently held the beef jerky and chewed it gulping, her cheeks puffed out, still looking as cute as ever.
Jiang Huai picked up the jade stone, activated the spiritual seal on it, and once again entered the Legacy Secret Realm of Ji Shi Zhenren.
