“How is your injury?” Chu Xianning couldn’t help but ask again.
Although she knew Jiang Huai’s injury was likely healed, and in the past she wouldn’t have bothered asking, recently she felt her words were increasing, becoming rather chatty. She wondered if she had caught it from Luo Yueguan.
“It’s fine, this little injury is nothing,” Jiang Huai replied.
“Aren’t you afraid of pain? Then why were you so careless?”
“It doesn’t hurt much. The first layer of the Overlord Art is more painful than this,” Jiang Huai scratched his head. “It’s just like a mosquito bite, it’s nothing.”
“Then when I usually whip you, you cry out more miserably than a pig being slaughtered.”
Jiang Huai’s eyes twitched slightly. “Master’s strike lands on my body, but the pain is in my heart. Naturally, I cry out louder when my heart aches.”
Chu Xianning let out a cold laugh, ignoring his antics, and silently picked up her tea cup and took a sip.
Seeing Jiang Huai’s gentle and humble demeanor before her, Chu Xianning suddenly felt a sense of trance. Even she never imagined that the disciple she casually picked up from the mountain would achieve such success today. Speaking of cultivation, she hadn’t actually taught Jiang Huai much, merely imparting sword techniques and cultivation methods. The rest of his path was always explored by Jiang Huai himself. Yet, five years ago, he was the champion of the Eastern Region Grand Competition. Now, with another Grand Competition approaching, even if his cultivation was gone, it seemed the championship was within his grasp once more.
The more this was the case, the more Chu Xianning couldn’t help but wonder, if his cultivation were still intact, how broad and glorious would his future path be?
Chu Xianning suddenly remembered what Jiang Huai had told her late at night a few days ago, about a healing method to replace the Flower Spirit Physique. But thinking of it made her increasingly shy and annoyed. She always suspected Jiang Huai was lying to her. The so-called “nectar” could be secreted by her during moments of arousal every three days. If it truly had healing effects, she could just… quietly put it in his tea for him to drink. But he insisted it had to be personally harvested?
She wondered how he intended to harvest it; could it be… with his mouth? The thought made Chu Xianning’s body tremble involuntarily.
She always suspected Jiang Huai was lying to her, yet his eyes had been so sincere at the time. But this matter became more and more illogical the more she thought about it. Even if Chu Xianning didn’t understand alchemy, she found it very strange.
“Master, why do you look like you have something to say but are holding back?” Jiang Huai suddenly spoke.
For some reason, he seemed to see a faint pink blush on Chu Xianning’s cheeks. He didn’t know what Chu Xianning was thinking at that moment. As soon as he spoke, Chu Xianning, whose thoughts were exposed, immediately returned to her cold and aloof demeanor, saying faintly, “I wasn’t thinking about anything.”
The more she indulged him, the more he pushed his boundaries. Chu Xianning, she couldn’t indulge him too much. If she really let him drink the nectar, he would want even more excessive things tomorrow.
“Do you want to practice sword techniques?” Chu Xianning asked calmly.
“How about… practicing fists?” Jiang Huai looked at Chu Xianning innocently.
Chu Xianning looked at him in silence, then nodded gently, but turned and walked back into the room. When she emerged again, she had changed into a more convenient gray dress. Her Daoist Robe was ultimately a bit restrictive for practicing martial arts. She had also changed out of her white embroidered shoes. Her porcelain-white little feet stepped onto the bluestone-paved ground. She looked at Jiang Huai before her, clenching her fists.
Chu Xianning suppressed her cultivation to the tenth layer of Spirit Transformation and began to earnestly practice fists with Jiang Huai. Gradually, she realized Jiang Huai’s fist techniques had improved significantly compared to before. He must have been practicing in secret during this recent period. Chu Xianning gradually began to falter, but she was too proud to release her sealed cultivation further. In a moment of distraction, she was tripped by Jiang Huai’s despicable leg sweep, causing her center of gravity to shift. The disobedient disciple before her then launched an even more outrageous attack, like a wolf or tiger. By the time Chu Xianning reacted, it was too late. With a clang, she was knocked to the ground.
Jiang Huai extended a hand to protect the back of Chu Xianning’s head, pressing his entire body down on her.
He dared not show even a hint of a triumphant smirk on his face at this moment, lest he be tied to a tree and beaten by Chu Xianning. He innocently blinked at Chu Xianning. “Did I win, Master?”
Chu Xianning’s body felt so soft.
Her body suddenly became rigid. This seemed to be the first time he had gotten so close. Her legs were already tensed. Jiang Huai’s face was so close, so close that it made her uneasy. She instinctively wanted to avoid his gaze, but as soon as she turned her head, Jiang Huai’s face deliberately moved closer, whispering, “Did I win?”
“You won,” Chu Xianning’s voice was very cold.
“Get down.” After a moment, she spoke again, this time with a hint of shyness and annoyance in addition to the coldness.
“I won… is there any reward?”
Looking at Chu Xianning’s shy and annoyed eyes, her delicate pink cheeks slightly flushed, her soft and cute appearance, Jiang Huai’s boldness surged once more. Chu Xianning’s eyelashes fluttered. “No.”
“Other masters give rewards when their disciples achieve something outstanding, but my Master doesn’t.”
“What do you want?”
“I want a kiss,” Jiang Huai said softly, his eyes full of anticipation.
Chu Xianning’s body was still pinned down. At this moment, her eyes turned to look at Jiang Huai’s eyes. Jiang Huai’s eyes were no longer as evasive as before. How did he dare say such a thing before? Now he said it with righteous indignation, showing no signs of guilt.
Chu Xianning took a deep breath. “Fine, win me again, and I’ll let you kiss me, how about it?”
“Really?”
A moment later, Chu Xianning’s cultivation returned to the first layer of Mahayana. With a casual knee strike, she sent Jiang Huai flying, crashing into a tree in the courtyard. A moment later, Chu Xianning stood up again, clenching her fists in her hand. “Come on.”
“No, no, that’s bullying!” Jiang Huai cried out miserably, but it was too late. Chu Xianning’s fist had already swung out, landing on his chest. She muttered, “I’ll teach you to be so cunning!”
“I’ll teach you to be ungrateful!”
“I’ll teach you to disrespect your superior!”
“I’ll teach you… to want a kiss!”
Jiang Huai was spun around like a little top by the punches and kicks. Chu Xianning controlled her strength perfectly, keeping it just enough to make him feel pain but not to injure him. The final blow was the same leg sweep and shoulder bump as Jiang Huai’s, sending Jiang Huai tumbling to the ground. The next second, Chu Xianning raised her white and tender little foot and stepped on his chest.
She looked down at Jiang Huai from above, her eyes cold and proud. “Do you still want a kiss?”
Her gray dress clung to her body. The skirt was in the style of a nightgown, as light as thin silk. Jiang Huai’s gaze fell upon Chu Xianning’s snow-white, slender calf. Master had always been tall and slender, and her snow-white calves were even more slender and fair. Her white and tender little feet stepping on his chest at this moment were unstained by even a speck of dust.
But Jiang Huai realized he was indeed becoming bolder and bolder lately.
“I do,” he said, winking at Chu Xianning.
Chu Xianning’s slender leg was raised again, this time her porcelain-white little foot, exuding a slight chill, stepped directly onto his face. Her eyes became increasingly cold. “I’ll ask you one more time, do you still want it?”
“You’re bullying me again,” Jiang Huai didn’t directly answer Chu Xianning’s question, but instead looked at her pitifully.
“Is this bullying you?” Chu Xianning tilted her chin slightly. “For someone, it seems that stepping on his face like this doesn’t bring him any shame at all. Instead, he’s happier than you can imagine. Don’t you think so?”
“How could that be?”
“It isn’t?” Chu Xianning’s eyes remained cold and indifferent.
“Then let’s just say it is,” Jiang Huai looked at her innocently. “Then why did Master still reward me when she knew it?”
This time, Chu Xianning had nothing to say. An indescribable shyness and annoyance filled her heart again. If she were drunk at the moment, it would be understandable for him to say such nonsensical things, but now they were both perfectly clear-headed. She hastily withdrew her leg, but looking at Jiang Huai, who was lying on the ground like a rogue, she became even more furious.
She came to Jiang Huai’s side. After a moment, she simply sat down straight. Her soft and tender snow buttocks landed directly on Jiang Huai’s chest. Jiang Huai’s eyes widened as he looked at Chu Xianning, who was sitting sideways on him. Chu Xianning reached out, hooked his chin, and pinched his face. “Have you been becoming more and more disobedient recently?”
“Have I?” Jiang Huai feigned ignorance.
“Haven’t you?”
“If Master says I have, then I have,” Jiang Huai blinked innocently again, but it was clearly a defiant stance, as if to say, ‘Master can’t do anything to me anyway… Heh, stepping on me is a reward, scolding me is a reward, hitting me is a reward, heh.’
“I can’t breathe, Master,” Jiang Huai began to talk nonsense again.
Chu Xianning not only did not get up but also sat down with more weight. She lowered her head, her eyes fixed on him. “When will you ever be obedient?”
“That depends on what being obedient means to Master.”
“Don’t talk nonsense; even being quiet is obedient.”
“Meaning I shouldn’t ask, but just do it?”
Chu Xianning took a deep breath and reached out to pinch Jiang Huai’s neck. But before she could apply any force, Jiang Huai began to beg, “I was wrong, I was wrong, I know I was wrong…”
Pretendedly admitting fault, pretendedly begging for mercy.
“Pretending,” Chu Xianning’s eyes were cold.
Pretendedly cold, pretendedly scolding.
Jiang Huai looked up at Chu Xianning’s face. It was indeed strange. When had he ever dared to imagine that Chu Xianning would sit on him like this and talk about such improper things with him?
“People always become greedier. It’s been a long, long, long, long time since the last kiss. Master, have you ever heard of the principle of ‘blocking is worse than dredging’?”
Chu Xianning thought that she had only lightly bitten Jiang Huai’s lips a few days ago, but she couldn’t bring herself to say these words. It was too embarrassing. If she said it, perhaps the disobedient disciple would claim that it was just a bite, not a kiss.
But when did it come to the point where he could bargain with her, and she was actually seriously considering the terms?
“After dredging once, how long will you be well-behaved?”
“Three days?”
“A month.”
“Ten days!”
“Forget it,” Chu Xianning shook her head.
“A month, a month, just one month.”
“Two months,” Chu Xianning spoke again.
Jiang Huai’s face fell. How were they negotiating like this? He looked at Chu Xianning pitifully. “Just one month.”
Chu Xianning refused, tilting her chin slightly. “Two months. You’re not allowed to be disobedient in front of me for two months.”
“Then I’ll die. I can’t act spoiled in front of Master for two months, and not see Master blush and panic. I’ll die.”
“Then die,” Chu Xianning said.
“Okay,” Jiang Huai nodded pitifully. “Then two months.”
Chu Xianning placed her hand on his cheek. Jiang Huai obediently closed his eyes according to her hand. Then Chu Xianning moved her hand away. She shifted her body, no longer sitting on Jiang Huai’s chest, but on his lap. Her slender, delicate body leaned forward, her jet-black hair falling onto his face. Her lips drew closer, carrying a pleasant fragrance, falling to Jiang Huai’s nose.
Chu Xianning suddenly froze, suddenly coming to her senses.
How did she fall into Jiang Huai’s trap? Clearly, all she needed to do was beat him soundly when he was disobedient. Why… was she now actively leaning in to kiss his lips?
She heard her own heartbeat, and Jiang Huai’s heartbeat. She sensed his breathing. Her fingertips touched her own chest. She hadn’t felt such a fervent heartbeat for a long, long time.
She had never felt this way before. In the past, she had always watched matters of love with indifference. She had also seen many passionate love stories, but none had ever touched her heartstrings. At first, she didn’t understand, but now, she suddenly did.
“Three months,” Chu Xianning suddenly said.
Jiang Huai was about to cry. Why did the price suddenly increase again? But before he could refuse, Chu Xianning’s lips had already drawn near. He was stunned for a moment. At this moment, Chu Xianning was not retreating at the first touch. Instead, her delicate pink lips parted slightly, and her smooth, soft tongue seemed to have nowhere to go, being captured by Jiang Huai almost in the next instant. Jiang Huai suddenly understood why Chu Xianning had suddenly said three months.
It turned out she meant they could use their tongues.
