In the Imperial Consort’s palace, within a misty spiritual spring—
Ying Wuyan sat quietly in the hot spring pool.
Her skin was as smooth and flawless as fine jade, without a single blemish.
Her thick, lustrous hair cascaded down her back, swaying with the ripples of the water.
Veiled by thin mist, her fiery figure was breathtaking, enough to make countless women sigh in admiration.
Behind Ying Wuyan stood two young maids.
Though she hadn’t personally attended the sparring match, Ying Wuyan was fully aware of every stir within the palace.
“Oh? The outcome of the match was Duan Yicheng injured and the Prince of Yan’s Heir dead, while Su Chen emerged unscathed?”
Ying Wuyan’s phoenix-like eyes flickered with intrigue.
“Your Ladyship, not only that, when Su Chen killed the Prince, the Prince’s jade pendant shattered, summoning the phantom of the Heavenly Thunder Sect Master…”
The maid to her left recounted everything she had witnessed outside the arena, her description precise and accurate, matching the events perfectly.
It was clear why this maid was trusted to serve at Ying Wuyan’s side.
“Interesting… increasingly interesting…”
After hearing the maid’s account, Ying Wuyan’s eyes gleamed even brighter.
She had thought he was just a somewhat naive, handsome youth, but his talent was unexpectedly terrifying.
What a treasure she had stumbled upon!
Involuntarily, Ying Wuyan recalled her brief encounter with Su Chen, her smile growing more playful and captivating.
Such an intriguing little brother—how could she bear to let him go?
At that moment, her stunning beauty caused the two maids behind her to blush.
Despite having seen countless beauties in the palace, aside from the Empress, anyone standing before this Imperial Consort would feel inferior and overshadowed.
…
With the sparring match over and his dignity as a “kept man” successfully defended, Su Chen finally had a rare chance to relax.
With all troubles resolved, it was time to return to his true calling—slacking off.
Lying flat was the way to go.
But Su Chen had clearly forgotten the system’s warning: more trouble awaited him!
In a spacious, comfortable bedroom, Ying Qingge was visibly upset, puffing up like an angry pufferfish!
During the day, she had been outmaneuvered despite being fully prepared, losing to an underestimating opponent!
And as if that wasn’t enough, she had been humiliated by that infuriating Wangqing Ge!
Worse still, her Junior Brother had been forcibly kissed by Wangqing Ge right in front of her!
And she had the audacity to say she’d leave him in her care?
To top it all off, her Junior Brother had been hiding his true strength, despite all the time they’d spent together!
She felt utterly betrayed.
Multiple devastating blows, nothing less.
“Senior Sister?”
Noticing something off about her, Su Chen tentatively spoke up.
“Hmph!”
Ying Qingge responded with a haughty huff, striking a prideful pose.
Her demeanor screamed, If you don’t coax me, I’m not talking to you today!
“Oh?”
Seeing her act so tsundere, Su Chen couldn’t help but chuckle.
So Senior Sister could be like this too!
He had thought she was always the aggressive, dominant type… ahem!
When Ying Qingge was too forward, he often didn’t know how to handle it.
But seeing her adorable, pouty side now, Su Chen felt surprisingly at ease and found it quite amusing.
He couldn’t handle a bold older sister, but a cute girl? No pressure at all.
While Ying Qingge was stewing in her frustration—
Suddenly, a hand gently landed on her shoulder. Ying Qingge’s body trembled, and under her puzzled gaze, Su Chen said earnestly,
“Thank you, Senior Sister, for all your help these past days. I have no way to repay you, so—let me give you a massage to show my gratitude!”
Without waiting for the Empress’s approval, Su Chen began gently kneading her delicate shoulders.
This bold move made Ying Qingge’s lips curve slightly, though she huffed in mock displeasure,
“Hmph! Are you sure this isn’t just you taking advantage of me?”
“Should I stop, then?”
“Don’t you dare!”
“Don’t just do my shoulders—my legs are a bit sore, give them a rub too.”
Ying Qingge casually extended her slender, alabaster legs.
Her tsundere act lasted all of three seconds before she melted!
After all, what could be more important than her Junior Brother willingly pampering her?
While bonding with her Junior Brother—
Ying Qingge’s eyes narrowed slightly, as she once again felt her cultivation speed accelerating—dramatically so.
As Su Chen’s hands moved to her thighs, it was like her progress was skyrocketing.
Could it really be as she suspected?!
Suddenly, a bold realization dawned on Ying Qingge—
As long as she got close to her Junior Brother, her strength would grow faster.
And the more intimate the action, the greater the effect?
This… this meant she could pursue both romance and power at the same time!
A win-win situation!
With this discovery, Ying Qingge’s mood instantly brightened.
Hmph!
There’s plenty of time ahead, and I’ve got all of it to spare.
On the other side—
After soothing his Senior Sister’s mood, Su Chen asked,
“Senior Sister, who was that silver-haired woman in white today?”
He was deeply curious, vaguely sensing some connection to her.
“Well…”
Ying Qingge hadn’t expected her Junior Brother to ask about this.
After a moment of thought and careful wording, she replied,
“She’s a crazy woman who cultivates the Path of Forgetting Emotions. It’s all about abandoning wisdom and human desires to align with the Heavenly Dao. She’s probably using you as a sacrifice for her path. You’d better stay far away from her!”
Ying Qingge’s tone was grave, even stern.
You couldn’t detect the slightest hint of deception in her words.
After all, she wasn’t technically wrong.
“Is that so?”
Hearing this, Su Chen’s face was filled with surprise and doubt.
He hadn’t sensed such intentions from Wangqing Ge.
And from Senior Sister’s tone, did they have some kind of grudge?
As Su Chen puzzled over this, Ying Qingge suddenly suggested,
“After all those battles today, let me check your body to see if you’re injured.”
“Huh?”
Su Chen’s thoughts were instantly derailed, and he warily eyed his Senior Sister, who had reverted to her infatuated mode.
“Senior Sister, I don’t feel like you’re worried about my injuries. It feels more like you’re… excited?”
Ying Qingge swore on her dignity as Empress,
“How could that be! Senior Sister is just concerned about her Junior Brother~!”
As she spoke, she began inspecting Su Chen’s body.
The moment her small hand touched him, she felt her cells practically singing with joy.
Not that kind of excitement—
But an enlightenment born from the Supreme Dao!