“If I can truly rebuild my Qi Sea within a year, I want to… sleep with Master for one night.”
Jiang Huai’s expression was exceptionally innocent, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Chu Xianning’s white and tender little feet stepped onto his shoes. She pressed down hard with her toes, pinning Jiang Huai’s foot. He gasped in pain.
“Why did you suddenly step on me?”
Chu Xianning’s eyes held a hint of annoyance. Jiang Huai’s eyes remained as innocent as ever. “It’s been a long, long time since I slept with Master. I really miss the feeling of being held by Master when I was little. I slept so soundly and felt so at ease.”
This time, Chu Xianning understood why Jiang Huai had that feigned innocent expression.
She could choose to expose him or not. At this moment, her eyebrows slightly raised, as if waiting for Jiang Huai to add more. Jiang Huai quickly chimed in, “It’s just like when I was little, being held by Master and lulled to sleep. Where did Master’s thoughts go?”
Does this disobedient disciple want to turn the tables?
Chu Xianning lifted her white and tender calf and gave Jiang Huai’s calf a light tap, coldly saying, “You damn dog.”
“If Master doesn’t agree, shall I change it?” Jiang Huai looked at Chu Xianning pitifully. Chu Xianning turned her face away, “Let’s talk about it when you’ve truly rebuilt your Qi Sea.”
“Then I’ll take that as Master’s agreement?”
Chu Xianning didn’t reply, just turned her face away.
So Jiang Huai took Chu Xianning’s silence as consent. Alright, he wouldn’t fantasize about being held by Chu Xianning for his nap today. He needed to figure out how to turn his fantasy into reality.
Heh heh, the fragrant and soft Chu Xianning, holding me in her arms, gently patting my back, trying her best to be gentle and softly whispering for me to sleep obediently, even singing lullabies. Heh heh heh.
This was the memory of his good mother, Chu Xianning, from Jiang Huai’s childhood.
***
At noon, Jiang Huai went early to steam the Spirit Snow Fish that Chu Xianning had caught last night. Chu Xianning had a light palate and preferred the original flavor of the ingredients. Thus, Jiang Huai only added a little ginger and scallion to remove the fishiness, and a small amount of steamed fish soy sauce to enhance the saltiness. He had scored the Spirit Snow Fish, and the steamed fish was crystal white, like a beautiful piece of art. Jiang Huai momentarily didn’t know how to start eating.
“Wait, Master didn’t ask me to eat it either.”
Jiang Huai held his bowl, eating the plate of stir-fried green vegetables he had made. He watched Chu Xianning pick up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and bring it to her delicate pink lips. He stared enviously, and Chu Xianning didn’t seem to intend to ask him to try it.
Jiang Huai sullenly held his bowl, quietly making a note of this. Next time, when Master was drunk, he would secretly get it back from her delicate pink lips.
Chu Xianning ate half of the fish. It seemed she had a good appetite today. Jiang Huai watched her for a long time, and Chu Xianning feigned ignorance, “Why are you staring at me?”
“I want to eat too.” Jiang Huai was about to cry little pearls.
The important thing wasn’t whether he got to eat the fish, but whether Master would let him eat it.
Chu Xianning hummed and picked up a small bite of the fish belly with her chopsticks. Just as she was about to put it into his bowl, she said calmly, “A reward for you.”
But as soon as her chopsticks came close, Jiang Huai directly bit down and ate the fish meat, saying, “Master is the best.”
Chu Xianning took a deep breath.
Why did this disobedient disciple manage to make her want to draw her sword and stab two holes in him every day recently?
Chu Xianning put down her chopsticks and went back to the kitchen to get a new pair. Jiang Huai glanced at her faintly, “Master actually dislikes me for being dirty.”
“Yes,” Chu Xianning nodded gently.
She tasted another small bite of fish. Half of the Spirit Snow Fish remained on the table. Then she put down her chopsticks and said calmly, “I’m full. You can eat it.”
… Huh?
… Arrogant Chu Xianning. Heh heh, the tally I’m keeping definitely hasn’t been settled.
***
Jiang Huai leaned back in the lounge chair in his room, diligently flipping through ancient books on refining medicine.
By the age of ten, Jiang Huai had already mastered medical knowledge and the art of alchemy. He had a hundred percent success rate in refining any pill below the Heaven tier. He wasn’t very interested in sword practice, but he had a great interest in refining medicine. After all, there were countless medicinal materials in the world, and the combinations of various herbs offered infinite possibilities, which was much more interesting than swordsmanship.
For example, regarding the mission given by the system at the beginning to Luo Yueguan, he actually knew how to add something strange to the medicinal liquid used to heal Luo Yueguan. But knowing was one thing; those methods were too extreme, and Jiang Huai generally avoided them.
This ancient book on refining medicine wasn’t exchanged from the Tian Xuan Sect’s library. It was an inheritance he had obtained in a secret realm. The ancient book contained the soul power of a past cultivator. While he called it flipping through an ancient book, Jiang Huai was actually reviewing that senior’s memories about refining medicine.
However, he still hadn’t found a way to heal his Qi Sea.
The prescription from Granny Jiuy, the Fire Luo, Snow Velvet Flower, and Jade Vine—these three medicinal ingredients, according to reason, shouldn’t be combined. But with the auxiliary Yin energy from the Flower Spirit Physique, the properties of these three spirit medicines could be softened. The Yin energy of the Ice Soul Profound Body also served to suppress the heat of these herbs. Following this line of thought, Jiang Huai spent the entire afternoon reviewing, and he did find some research directions, but they were likely just directions. To form a pill specifically, he would need to find quite a few medicinal materials, experiment with their properties, and then make a decision.
In the evening, he promptly left his room to prepare dinner. After finishing, he went to Chu Xianning’s room and knocked gently on the door.
Chu Xianning opened the door and followed him to the pavilion.
“What was Master doing in her room just now?” Jiang Huai asked out of curiosity.
“Reading,” Chu Xianning replied calmly.
“Oh,” Jiang Huai nodded and started eating, holding his bowl. He soon ate his fill and leaned back in his chair to rest before cleaning the bowls. He suddenly thought of something, his heartstrings stirred, and he looked at Chu Xianning, “When I went to Qingxuan Sect a while ago, Sect Master Luo told me something strange.”
“What?”
“She said Master lied to me; that the day Master disappears every month isn’t for closing cultivation to heal injuries.” Jiang Huai blinked innocently, trying to catch a glimpse of any clue in Chu Xianning’s eyes.
“And what did she say I was doing?” Chu Xianning’s expression remained unchanged.
“She didn’t say. She said if I kissed her little feet, she would tell me. Of course, I refused, I have my pride.”
Chu Xianning merely raised her eyelashes slightly, her voice tinged with displeasure, “So, do you believe her, or do you believe me?”
“Of course, I believe Master! I knew that woman had ill intentions!” Jiang Huai replied immediately.
Chu Xianning stood up and said calmly, “Besides suppressing old injuries, that day I also needed to deal with the drawbacks of the Flower Spirit Physique on my own.”
“Does the Flower Spirit Physique also have drawbacks?” Jiang Huai was taken aback.
“It’s not serious; you don’t need to worry,” Chu Xianning answered calmly. “You said you have something to do in a couple of days?”
“Yes. I lent my sword to someone a while ago, and she went to explore a secret realm. By now, it should be about time. I’ve already given her the address of Tian Xuan Sect. She should come to get her sword back in the next couple of days. Also, the Dragon Burial Valley secret realm is about to open, and I’ve already prepared the ticket money. I plan to explore it with her.”
“Dragon Burial Valley… The minimum cultivation requirement is Foundation Establishment, right?”
“Don’t worry, Master. Of course, I have self-preservation means before I dare to set foot there.”
“What are you going to the Dragon Burial Valley for?”
“I heard that the Dragon Burial Valley is full of spirit medicines, so I want to find medicinal materials to heal my Qi Sea.”
Actually, Jiang Huai himself hadn’t figured out the prescription yet. He had only heard that half a year ago, during the spatial fluctuation in the Dragon Burial Valley, there had been a faint scent of Dragon Blood Spirit Flower. Dragon Blood Spirit Flower is an extremely nourishing spirit medicine that only grows on the heart’s blood of a dragon’s corpse and is extremely beneficial even to cultivators in the Eighth Realm. Most importantly, Dragon Blood Spirit Flower is a very important medicinal ingredient in the healing pill Jiang Huai was preparing for Chu Xianning.
But he definitely couldn’t say that, or Chu Xianning wouldn’t let him go.
Chu Xianning remained silent for about ten breaths before softly saying, “Bring Suo Xue with you.”
“No need. I have Ye Ning. I don’t even use two swords well. Don’t worry, Master. You know me; I’m the most afraid of death.”
Chu Xianning glanced at him sideways, “But I see that you’ve been courting death quite often recently.”
“Have I?” Jiang Huai blinked innocently.
Chu Xianning sneered and gave him a look that made him understand. Then she turned and walked towards the bathhouse, presumably intending to bathe.
Although Jiang Xiaohu had a little wicked thought in his heart, like peeking at Master bathing, with Master’s Eighth Realm cultivation, the slightest disturbance would be easily noticed. If Chu Xianning knew, she would probably drag him out and beat him half to death.
Alas, the idle Jiang Xiaohu silently opened his alchemy furnace and put in the extra medicinal materials for cultivating the Immaculate Golden Body that he had left over from Luo Yueguan, and began refining pills for the eighth and ninth levels of Immaculate Golden Body cultivation.
By the time Chu Xianning finished bathing, Jiang Xiaohu’s pills were also refined. He sat silently in the pavilion, staring at Chu Xianning in front of him with a solemn expression. “Master, I need your help with a small favor.”
“Speak.”
“Sit here and keep me company for a while.”
Chu Xianning tilted her head.
“Cultivating the Immaculate Golden Body is very painful. Seeing Master makes it less painful.”
Chu Xianning was about to rebuke him, but seeing his pitiful appearance, she finally didn’t say anything more. She softly hummed “Oh” and leaned back in her chair, her legs crossed beneath her white skirt. Her snow-white little feet, bare of socks, dangled slightly.
Jiang Huai put the pill for the eighth level of cultivation into his mouth, feeling like he was facing a great enemy because he was truly afraid of pain.
The pill was swallowed in an instant, and its medicinal power began to take effect throughout his body. He was refining an improved version of the Immaculate Golden Body, so the pain was only one-third of the original. In a way, Jiang Huai truly admired Luo Yueguan; she could endure it.
Jiang Huai’s bones soon felt a pain like they were shattering. He clenched his teeth tightly, and sweat soon beaded on his skin. His body was gradually absorbing the medicinal power. Once it was fully absorbed, his strength and speed would improve further. Compared to that, this pain seemed like a small price to pay.
Jiang Huai was in great pain, his vision darkening. However, in his sight, Chu Xianning’s white and tender feet were as lustrous as jade, bathed in soft light. Her snow-white toes were playfully spread apart, and her small feet lifted slightly again, her smooth soles revealing a delicate pink hue.
